Harvard Art Museums, Fogg Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Power of Death is a late 19th century American allegorical painting by artist William Holbrook Beard- an artist particularly known for imaginative and often satirical depictions of animals. The central figure is Death, represented as a skeleton, struggling with and overpowering a large tiger. Death places one foot against an elephant, while other animals appear defeated around the scene. The elephant and tiger are important because they represent animals associated with physical strength, danger and power. Their defeat makes Death appear stronger than even the most powerful creatures. The painting therefore works as a memento mori- reminding the viewer that death eventually overcomes every living creature regardless of strength or status. Beard uses a dramatic composition with vigorous movement between the skeletal figure and the tiger. The fallen animals create a sense of destruction and reinforce the idea that nothing living can ultimately escape death. The subject also connects with Beard's wider interest in animals as a means of expressing human ideas and behaviour. His animal paintings frequently used humour, satire and unusual situations rather than simply presenting animals realistically. In this work, however, the animal imagery becomes more serious. The scene turns the familiar strength of wild animals into a symbol of human mortality and the limits of earthly power. Beard's choice of a skeletal Death fighting the animals makes the message immediate and dramatic, while the unusual subject gives the painting a somewhat grotesque and fantastical character.
I feel very similarly about the artwork as the artist does. The emotions and ideas expressed in the piece resonated with me personally, and I found that my own response to the artwork closely reflected the artist’s perspective.
