Memento Mori 

Allison Reimold’s painting, *Memento Mori*, presents us with a modern vision of mortality. The skeletal figure draped upon the young woman is a potent symbol, echoing the danse macabre of medieval art, reminding us of death's ever-present companion. Here, the skull, a motif found in countless vanitas paintings, grins with unsettling familiarity. We see this grinning memento also in ancient Roman art, where skulls were displayed during triumphs, a stark reminder even in victory of life's ephemeral nature. The contrast between the vibrant life of the woman and the decaying figure speaks to a deep-seated human preoccupation: the transience of beauty and the inevitability of decay. It is the artist’s subtle orchestration of colour, where the vibrant blue of life meets the gold of decay, which engages us on a subconscious level. This motif is less of a linear progression, more of a cyclical return, each era rediscovering the profound unease and acceptance that comes with contemplating our mortality.