Skeletons, also known as Allegory of Death and Fame
1518
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1518
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Skeletons, also known as Allegory of Death and Fame is a 1518 by Agostino dei Musi, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows a group of skeletons and living people around a central figure of winged Death. The scene is crowded and detailed, with people debating the fate of the soul. A special figure on the left is a "marasmic" man, used by anatomists to study muscles. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of another artist, Agostino Veneziano (Italian, 1490–1540).
