Hugo Simberg, The Garden of Death, 1896.
Every time I see this I always wonder what the painterโs intended message was. It looks so pleasant, that middle skeleton looks so happy with its work.
Maybe itโs supposed to be a memento mori, but a comforting and encouraging one.
This is one of the most famous paintings in Finland. There are multiple interpretations of it but they all share the same base idea:
โAccording to Simberg, the flowers represent peopleโs souls, the skeletons are aids to Death, and the Garden of Death is a purgatory of sorts for souls waiting for entrance into heaven. This artwork invites the viewer to consider the afterlife, to take comfort in his or her own passing, and to not fear what happens after the body fails to function.โ
โIt depicts Simbergโs thoughts on afterlife, which is not run by angels but skeletons who take care of the heavenly garden with a gentle hand, while waiting for more โgardenersโ to arrive. It is derived from the medieval belief that the dead sleep in a blooming garden.โ
โIn Simbergโs garden the humble Death-like figures struggle against harsh conditions; the landscape around the garden has burnt yellow, it is dry and barren. The cherished flowers grow in exotic shapes, slowly, requiring constant care. The black-clad figures love their nurslings. The garden is a place where Death is allowed to realize its feelings of affection. The Garden of Death can be seen depicting the impossibility of this love; maybe the flowers are tender and fragile because they can not handle the love of Death. Love has two faces: one of them is the face of devastation.โ
