Skeletons 1513 - 1523

Agostino Veneziano created this engraving, "Skeletons," during the height of the Renaissance, a period marked by both artistic flourishing and profound social upheaval. Reflecting on the ever-present themes of mortality, the image presents a crowded scene of decaying figures and skeletons. The figures' expressions of grief, resignation, and despair resonate with the period’s anxieties. The work evokes the ever-present threat of disease and war, which touched all levels of society. In early 16th century Europe, the themes of death and decay, common in art, were heightened by the rise of plague, famine, and war. This context would have affected the work's reception, imbuing it with a sense of collective trauma. The image doesn't shy away from depicting the physical reality of death. It serves as a stark reminder of life’s fragility, and perhaps also, a suggestion to embrace life.