Death has always been the one constant in every society and every religion, yet still remains one of the hardest things for anyone to come to terms with. This gallery will look to explore the different ways that death, and almost always is contrasted with life through art.
Klimt uses an almost playful juxtaposition of color in this piece to accentuate this difference between life and death. In this piece death is very darkly colored as you would expect but he has almost a smile on his face, meanwhile the brightly colored side representing life are all either neutral or look downtrodden.
Ophelia, Sir John Everett Millais, Around 1851, From the collection of: Tate Britain
In this piece Millais places Ophelia in a watery grave, she is clearly dead but the surroundings look very serene, once again showcasing the contrast between life and death. Based on the dress Ophelia is wearing one could assume this death was sudden and unforeseen.
The Nightmare, Henry Fuseli, 1781, From the collection of: Detroit Institute of Arts
Fuseli utilizes emphasis on the dead woman to create the shadows for the creature to lurk in. He also places the victim in a white dress to make her seem pure, while the creature is menacing in the background.
Death and the Miser, Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1485/1490, From the collection of: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
In this piece Bosch is basically saying death comes for you no matter who you are, or how much money you have. At first glance, the skeleton coming through the door is what draws your attention as it is the largest of the symbols of death, but there is also one coming out from under the bed and on top of the bed as well. There is also a sort of de-emphasis on the crucifix in on the wall as it is so much smaller than the symbols of death.
Self-Portrait with Death Playing the Fiddle, Arnold Böcklin, 1872, From the collection of: Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
In this piece Böcklin is seen painting, with death standing behind him playing a fiddle. He places the emphasis in this piece right above his own eyes, to draw attention to what his eyes are looking at, which would most likely be death in the mirror. The contrast between Böcklin's life as an artist and death looming just over his shoulder really hits the viewer, especially with the look on his face.
Judith and Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi, 1620 - 1621, From the collection of: Uffizi Gallery
In this piece, Genileschi lets the subject matter play to the contrast. The story behind this painting is that Judith was a widow, and Holofernes was a general who was going to begin a siege on Judith's home city. Holofernes invited Judith into his tent due to his desire for her, passed out drunk and then she beheaded him. The contrast between what Holofernes may have planned and his ensuing death really jump out in this piece. Also how calm Judith appears in this intense moment, it appears that is may not be the first time she's done something like this.
Marat Assassinated, Jacques-Louis David, 1793, From the collection of: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
In this piece, David portrays Marat as holding a letter and a quill, seeming like he was in the middle of something and someone came in and assassinated him. Marat was a French revolutionary leader, who probably at the time had big plans and was looking to achieve them before his life was cut short.
The Death of General Wolfe, Benjamin West, 1776-1806, From the collection of: Royal Ontario Museum
In this piece, West portrays a dying General Wolfe surrounded by comrades and what can be assumed to be a doctor. The emphasis is clearly on the general in this piece, and the battle in the background seems to be of very little to no importance. The interesting thing about this piece is the native warrior kneeling in the foreground starting at the general and not really being noticed by the other soldiers around the general. This warrior could have been the one to kill the general or not, it is not very clear. According to the noble savage concept though, there are theories that he could be there to represent the innate goodness of humanity, who have not been corrupted by civilization.
Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette, Vincent van Gogh, January 1886 - February 1886, From the collection of: Van Gogh Museum
In this piece, van Gogh has a skeleton with a cigarette hanging out of its mouth, almost in the vein of a modern anti-smoking ad campaign. This once again showcases the juxtaposition between life and death, van Gogh places the cigarette in the skeletons mouth almost as a way to still live after death.
In this piece David has several men weeping for the death of Socrates. Interestingly though, even though the piece is title the Death of Socrates the emphasis is actually not on him, but on the character in the center with one finger raised in the air. Once again the artist is showcasing the most lively character in a sea of dreary ones.
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This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
