Cycle of Nature 1955

Editor: Here we have Ceri Richards’ "Cycle of Nature," currently residing at the Tate. The painting is striking in its use of red and fragmented forms; it makes me wonder what I'm actually looking at. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The fractured imagery hints at a world grappling with disruption. Notice the recurring motifs of skeletal remains juxtaposed with figures. Richards explores the cycle of creation and destruction, echoing themes in mythology and modern literature. Editor: So, the bones are not literal but a reference to symbolic themes? Curator: Precisely. They serve as memento mori, reminders of mortality, a constant theme in art history. Richards asks us to contemplate the cyclical nature of existence, the constant interplay between life and death. What does that evoke in you? Editor: I suppose it makes you think about how enduring some themes are in art. Curator: Exactly! The symbols resonate across time.