The Ambassadors (Holbein) viewer must approach the painting from high on the right side, or low on the left side, to see the form as an accurate rendering of a human skull. While the skull is evidently intended as a "vanitas" or "memento mori", it is unclear why Holbein gave it such prominence in this painting. One possibility is that this painting represents three levels: the heavens (as portrayed by the astrolabe and other objects on the upper shelf), the living world (as evidenced by books and a musical instrument on the lower shelf), and death (signified by the skull). It has also
The Gilded Cage (Evelyn De Morgan painting) The Gilded Cage (Evelyn De Morgan painting) The Gilded Cage is an oil painting by Evelyn De Morgan, with apparent stylistic influences of spatial representation from Surrealist modes of thought. It was her final work before her death in 1919. It is essentially an allegory for female hypnotic delirium. In this painting, a woman "looks out" from what seems to be a window that may, in fact, be a scene from a mural painting within the greater composition with her hand stretched out and up in a gesture of yearning. She is looking at what may be compared to a