Mary Anablo Guercino Analysis

The Latin phrase, “memento mori”, connotes the brevity of life as its message continuously remains apparent in art throughout the centuries. Artists illustrate subjects of forthcoming death in various methods, either subtly with dark color schemes or explicitly with symbolic metaphors. The presence of the human skull, an object synonymous with death, envelops the audience with grim thoughts as they are lead to conclude the demise of the artwork’s subject, or of themselves. Currently on view at the Blanton Museum of Art, Guercino’s Mary Magdalena (c. 1637) and Natalie Frank’s Snow White V (2011-14) overtly depict an image of death, yet both of the artworks’ ambiguous context are not completely distinguishable to the audience.
Guercino utilizes elements similar to the characteristics of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque era in his painting titled, Mary Magdalena, to portray an idealized image of a woman. Immediately, the audience is drawn to the dramatic gaze of her face as she looks off frame to the upper right corner. This intensity is highlighted through tenebrism, as an ominous shadow is diagonally placed across the painting to bring even more attention to the illuminated figure. Drama is further illustrated as she reveals a human skull under the cloth that she tightly clenches. The representation of a skull alludes to the theme of death
Despite their visual dissimilarities, both artworks illustrate the message of memento mori through the representation of a skull, a common symbol of death. In trying to make a connection between the artworks, one could conclude that each attempts to influences the audience to accept approaching death. Nonetheless, the context of each artwork is vague with mystery as the audience is left to further contemplate the underlying message and