1665 2011

Sharon Core created this photograph, 1665, in our time, yet its symbolism resonates with centuries past. The flowers, arranged in a manner reminiscent of Dutch Golden Age still lifes, speak to the transient nature of life. Note the poppy, its vibrant bloom a symbol of sleep, oblivion, and even death, an ambivalent figure appearing across cultures from ancient Greece to the present. In classical antiquity, poppies were associated with Morpheus, the god of dreams. Yet, in the Christian tradition, the poppy's red color came to symbolize the blood of Christ and, by extension, resurrection and eternal life. Consider how the image’s beauty and decay intertwine, mirroring our complex relationship with mortality. This tension between allure and ephemerality taps into a deep, subconscious awareness of time's relentless passage. Thus, 1665 echoes through art history, a cyclical return to fundamental themes of existence, memory, and the enduring power of symbols.