Homage 

Joseph Novak, born in Czechoslovakia, made this lithograph titled "Homage." His life spanned much of the 20th century, including the Great Depression and the Second World War, both of which significantly impacted artistic expression. "Homage" seems steeped in a sense of mortality, with the skull placed centrally and the head resting upon it, while a rat sits precariously on top. The skull and mushrooms are traditional symbols of death and decay. The figure looks weighed down by the skull, with hands clasped as if in contemplation. Novak seems to draw us into the heart of his personal reckoning. The lithograph is filled with symbols of life and death, but the artist leaves us to consider the relationship between the two. How does Novak portray the balance between our intellectual pursuits and the inevitability of death?