The People Play-Spring 1941

Benton Spruance created this lithograph, ‘The People Play – Spring,’ presenting a complex allegory of life and death. Note the bi-plane bearing the name ‘Venus,’ juxtaposed with the skeletal figures in the lower right corner. This contrast recalls the vanitas tradition, where symbols of earthly pleasures are paired with reminders of mortality. Consider the image of Venus, who has been worshipped since ancient times and represents love and beauty, but whose name is inscribed on a machine that is likely to bring death. In a different context, her symbolism of love and beauty is celebrated by Botticelli, who painted ‘The Birth of Venus.’ In that painting, she appears ethereal and divine, while in ‘The People Play – Spring,’ the presence of Venus above the fairground injects a sense of disquiet. This dichotomy speaks to the recurring motifs of life and death, hope and despair, that are etched into our collective consciousness, resurfacing across eras, reminding us of the cyclical nature of human existence and the eternal dance between Eros and Thanatos.