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The Metropolitan Museum's Grim Art: Skull Paintings

3 min read
The Metropolitan Museum's Grim Art: Skull Paintings

The skull is a bony structure that forms the framework of the head. It supports the face and encases the brain. skulls have been used by humans for a variety of purposes, such as ritualistic practices, burial customs, and as decorations. The Metropolitan Museum has a wide variety of skull-related artworks, ranging from ancient to modern times. These artworks provide a glimpse into the different ways that skulls have been used and regarded by cultures around the world.

The Penitent Magdalen

French, Vic-sur-Seille 1593–1652 Lunéville / The Met

    This painting is a good example of La Tour's work at its most accomplished and characteristic.
    La Tour was much indebted to Caravaggesque painting, but tended towards even more simplified forms.

The Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saint John

Dutch, The Hague? 1588–1629 Utrecht / The Met

    Painted roughly a century after the other works in this gallery, Ter Brugghen's scene of Christ's crucifixion draws on the dramatic, emotional appeal of earlier religious art to inspire the private prayers of a Catholic viewer.
    The Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist, who flank the cross, provide surrogates for the viewer's agonized beholding of the crucifixion.

An Allegory

Italian, Genoese, 1668–1746 / The Met

    The fantastical subject of this painting has eluded scholars.
    The woman holding dividers over an open book with diagrams has been identified as Circe or Melissa, but is probably a more generic sorceress surrounded by symbols of her dark magic:skulls, a bat, and a chimera (a fantastical winged creature).
    The representation in the left foreground of a coati, a member of the raccoon family native to South America, is unique in early modern painting and was probably based on an animal living in a private zoo in Genoa.

Vanitas Still Life

Netherlandish, Antwerp 1565–1629 The Hague / The Met

    This panel is generally considered to be the earliest known independent still-life painting of a vanitas subject, or symbolic depiction of human vanity.
    The skull, large bubble, cut flowers, and smoking urn refer to the brevity of life, while images floating in the bubble - such as a wheel of torture and a leper's rattle - refer to human folly.
    The figures flanking the arch above are Democritus and Heraclitus, the laughing and weeping philosophers of ancient Greece.

The Temptation of Saint Mary Magdalen

German, Oldenburg ca. 1595/1600–1631 Verona / The Met

    Born in northern Germany but active in Amsterdam, Rome, and Venice, Liss synthesized Rubens, Caravaggio, Bernini, and Titian, evolving a style that virtually encapsulates what we refer to today as baroque.
    Liss probably executed this painting in Venice.
   The reformed prostitute Mary Magdalen is shown rejecting the world's riches - represented by the dark-skinned, turbaned figure - in favor of an angel who bears the palm of victory
    Her back-tilted head, half-closed eyes, and exposed breasts merge with the lush paint handling in an almost shocking eroticism.
   Born in northern Germany but active in Amsterdam, Rome, and Venice, Liss synthesized Rubens, Caravaggio, Bernini, and Titian, evolving a style that virtually encapsulates what we refer to today as baroque
   Liss probably executed this painting in Venice
   The reformed prostitute Mary Magdalen is shown rejecting the world's riches - represented by the dark-skinned, turbaned figure - in favor of an angel who bears the palm of victory
   Her back-tilted head, half-closed eyes, and exposed breasts merge with the lush paint handling in an almost shocking eroticism
   Only around thirty works by Liss are known, of which this is one of the most important

The Wrathful Protector Mahakala, Tantric Protective Form of Avalokiteshvara

Asian Art / The Met

    The ferocious aspect of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, Mahakala is shown in a flaming aureole, his six hands holding his horrific ritual implements.
    Attending Mahakala are four yaksha "ministers" in red and blue, and below they ride a bear and a horse and flank the protector goddess Palden Lhamo on her donkey.
    The celestial Buddha Amitabha presides, flanked by mahasiddhas and Gelugpa patriarchs.

From 14th Century To 15th Century

From 14th Century To 15th Century

During the 14th and 15th centuries, artists in Europe began to break away from the traditional Gothic style. They began to experiment with new techniques and styles, resulting in a period of great creativity and innovation in the arts. Some of the most famous artworks from this period include the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the sculptures of Donatello. Box with Romance Scenes     This coffret illustrated with scenes from Arthurian and other courtly literature of the M
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From 1819 To 1826

From 1819 To 1826

The 19th century was a time of great change in the world of art. Artists began to experiment with new styles and media, and the art world was forever changed as a result. Some of the most famous artists of the time include Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso. The Falls of Niagara     The painting is of Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.     The painting is based on a vignette of the falls from a map of North America published by Henry S. Tanner in 1822. Heroic Landscape w
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From 1787 To 1800

From 1787 To 1800

The 18th century was a time of great change in the world of art. New styles and genres emerged, and artists began to experiment with new techniques and materials. The art of the 18th century reflected the changing times, and the growing interest in the natural world and the human form. Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby     The Irish actress Elizabeth Farren made her London debut in 1777 and soon became one of the most popular comic performers of the day.  
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