Death and the Maiden, by Egon Schiele
You can’t do a series about the 10 scariest paintings without the topic of death coming up directly. And few artists can chill the bones through representation of the macabre than the Austrian painter Egon Schiele.
The work above, as the title implies, is Death and the Maiden and has been a common theme involving death through art history and has been a repeat subject enjoyed by eerie greats such as Kathe Kollwitz and Edvard Munch. Schiele’s is arguably the best painting of the Death and the Maiden and perhaps the whole subject of death incarnate itself. Here Death is in the form of a man like any other who is embraced lovingly by his unknowing victim.
The woman actually is Life in general, with her warm flesh and blushing face, signs of healthy blood flow and vibrant life energy. Her warm pink dress stand out against the neutral sheet of her bed; no more will she wear this dress, it was put on for the last time today.
Death, the grim reaper, is recognizably human, though dark and eerie. His flesh shows no vitality as the woman’s does; there is no warm blood to red the face. He is not here to woo and love the woman. His embrace is not one of sensuality. He is here for one thing, and for one thing only, and his task is almost complete as we can’t help but watch the woman surrender to her doom.
What I love about this painting is its subtlety. Subtlety, as I always say, is the difference between a great painting and a mediocre one. Anybody can show fear by showing the woman screaming, and death by showing a skeleton with scythe gnashing his teeth into bloody skin. Schiele does not need such flashy horror show clichés to convey his message. The one visible eye of Death is enough to send shivers down your spine.
This work has similarities to another great painting, Edvard Munch’s Vampire, which probably receives honorable mention in this series. One may argue that the folklore myth of a vampire would be the antithesis to a death painting but I beg to differ. The vampire sinking its teeth into a victim marks the death of that poor soul as he or she knows it. Life everlasting to forever “live” as a bloodthirsty beast of the night is anything but life. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” when the doctor’s wife was brought back to life, she wastes no time deciding that she would rather set herself ablaze and burn to ashes than to live eternally as a monstrosity.
The subject of “death” is subconsciously strong with us, as no matter who you are you fear your demise. Advertisers know this by placing small subliminal messages in ads to trick you into having stronger feelings when associating with their product. It is not uncommon to see barely visible pictures of skulls, or even the word “death” right in front of your eyes.
Truly “death” is a popular theme and “Death and the Maiden” an excellent portrayal of it, and is rightly #8 in our 10 Scariest Paintings.
Until next time, watch who you embrace. You could be staring Death right in the face.
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