The Clarence Ward Art Library Celebrates Halloween and El Día de los Muertos
October 19, 2022
Cropped illustration of a human skull from Romancing the Skull
Photograph of skeletons dress in clothing from El Día de los Muertos: The Life of the Dead in Mexican Folk Art
Student browsing a book from "The Art of Death" display at the Clarence Ward Art Library
October finds the Art Library decked out in Halloween decorations and our student staff has put together a display of books on “The Art of Death".
Two of our favorites are:
- Romancing the Skull: Romancing the skull' is not about Death: it is about Bones - head bones. It looks at the skull in art, asking the question 'What is that draws people to the skull?'. It explodes with colorful and creative images from the worlds of political satire, contemporary art and pop culture, with a sidelong glance at medieval depictions of the skull as a reminder of mortality, and at the ways other cultures celebrate the skull and its use in Halloween and the Mexican Día de Muertos.
- El Día de los Muertos: The Life of the Dead in Mexican Folk Art: A central theme in the literary and visual arts of Mexico is the concept of death which ironically involves the living. The theme is celebrated as el Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead (or All Souls Day). This book has chosen to hew closely to the actual festive spirit of this day and presents a remarkable group of brilliantly colored objects created by artists in Mexico.
Other Books on “The Art of Death”:
- Medieval Death: Ritual and Representation
- Hitchcock and Art: Fatal Coincidences
- The Art of Death: Visual Culture in the English Death Ritual, c.1500-c.1800
- Mexico: The Day of the Dead
- Ancient Mortuary Traditions of China: Papers on Chinese Ceramic Funerary Sculptures
- Abject Visions: Powers of Horror in Art and Visual Culture
- Theater of the Dead: A Social Turn in Chinese Funerary Art, 1000-1400