Kisses of Death 

"Kisses of Death" is an etching made by Felicien Rops; the artwork places us squarely in the late 19th century, amidst a culture grappling with changing roles for women and anxieties about morality. In this image, Rops challenges traditional depictions of women as either saintly or demonic by presenting an androgynous winged skeleton, seemingly kissing a man. It speaks to the concept of "femme fatale," but here, it's tinged with a morbidity that reflects societal anxieties about female sexuality and its perceived dangers. The kiss, typically an intimate and life-affirming gesture, becomes an emblem of death, resonating with the period's fascination with mortality. This artwork serves as a powerful reflection of the complex and often contradictory attitudes towards women, death, and desire during this era. It prompts us to consider how societal fears can manifest in art, blurring the lines between attraction and repulsion, life and death.