Studie af død vibe 1747 - 1759

This watercolor of a dead lapwing was painted by Johanna Fosie in the 18th century. The lapwing, lifeless, becomes a symbol laden with cultural echoes. Consider the bird itself. Across cultures, birds often represent the soul or spirit, their flight a metaphor for transcendence. Yet here, the lapwing is grounded, robbed of its capacity to soar. The crest feathers, usually a mark of vitality, droop with the weight of death, echoing classical depictions of mourning where drooping flowers or lowered torches signify loss. In ancient Roman funerary art, birds were often depicted escaping from tombs, signifying the soul’s departure. Here, the absence of such imagery speaks volumes, suggesting perhaps a more permanent cessation. This iconography mirrors earlier cultural expressions of grief and mortality, yet it resurfaces in Fosie's work, revealing how deeply ingrained these symbols are in our collective consciousness, a poignant reminder of our shared human experience.