Predica del arte del bene morire (sermon on the art of dying well) 1500 - 1505

This woodcut, "Predica del arte del bene morire" or "Sermon on the Art of Dying Well" was made by Girolamo Savonarola. The predominantly black lines create a stark contrast against the light paper, immediately drawing us into a scene of devastation and spiritual reckoning. The composition is structured around the allegorical figure of Death, who stands atop a carriage adorned with skulls. This macabre vehicle is pulled by oxen, trampling figures below, illustrating a hierarchy of mortality. Above, angels and demons flank the scene, framing the earthly chaos within a cosmic battle for souls. The use of linear perspective creates a receding landscape, emphasizing the inescapable advance of death. This image challenges fixed meanings by depicting death not merely as an end, but as an art, a practice—a concept that destabilizes our conventional understanding. The woodcut is an aesthetic and philosophical meditation on human existence and the acceptance of mortality.