Barnet (Das Kind) 1791

Daniel Chodowiecki created this engraving, "The Child," depicting a scene laden with stark symbolism. Here, the Grim Reaper looms, not as a cloaked figure but as a winged skeleton, a chilling herald of death. This winged skeleton, hovering ominously over a sleeping mother and child, is not new in the history of art. I recall similar motifs from medieval morality plays, where death is personified, reminding us of life’s fleeting nature. The symbol of death with wings reminds us of demons carrying the dead into the underworld. This image carries not just the fear of death, but an acknowledgement of our deepest anxieties about mortality and loss, engaging us on a visceral level. It is a symbol that continually resurfaces, evolving to reflect the anxieties of each age, yet fundamentally rooted in our shared human experience of mortality.