Two Dead Ducks 1685 - 1755

Count Giorgio Duranti rendered "Two Dead Ducks" using pen and watercolor sometime in the 18th century. The image depicts two lifeless ducks, an arrangement that transcends mere representation, becoming a symbolic tableau of mortality. Consider the duck, historically a symbol of transition, journeying between water, earth, and air. Here, though, they are stilled. This juxtaposition reflects back to ancient Roman funerary art, where fowl were carved into sarcophagi, representing the soul's journey to the afterlife. Yet, Duranti presents them in a stark, unadorned manner, stripped of mythological or religious context. This very lack becomes a powerful statement. The presentation of dead animals also recalls the "memento mori" tradition. Like a skull on a scholar's desk, they serve as stark reminders of life's fleeting nature. The ducks, once vibrant creatures, now hang limply, their stillness resonating with the quiet inevitability of our own mortality. This image taps into our collective subconscious, provoking a visceral awareness of the transient nature of existence.