Analysis Of D Humana Fragilita By Salvator Rosa

D’Humana Fragilita (Human Frailty) by Salvator Rosa, painted in oil in 1656, standing at an imposing 77 inches high and 51 inches wide. The painting serves as a harrowing look at the human condition and the fragile line between life and death. Presently, the piece is located in The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK. This piece was painted when the plague was rampant throughout Italy and it plays a notable role in the painting itself. The scene depicted shows the Angel of Death visiting a young child. Death is guiding the child’s hand as he signs a scroll, possibly a contract while the mother unknowingly cradles the child on her knee. Two other children are seen to the right of the mother, a pair of butterflies gather near them, one of the children is blowing bubbles cheerfully, while the other carefully lights a torch. To the left, sitting below the mother, is an owl, a harbinger of poor fortune. At the very bottom of the canvas a rocket and a knife can be seen, one of the bubbles float dangerously close to a blade. A tall, vertical pillar on the far left of the painting features four reliefs; an infant, a man, a fish and a hound. A shorter pillar is on the far right, a bust …show more content…
Death is depicted as a winged skeleton, his bones a deep yellow hue perhaps representing the ancient age of Death. The only soft feature portrayed on Death is the billowy feathers sprouting from his wings; the actual coloring on the feathers almost bleeds into the dark sky. The mother’s clothing creates many folds as it cascades down her body; creating a pleasing implied texture. A gentle breeze is felt through the painting as shown in the mother’s scarf and in the bubbles being manipulated by the wind. There’s only one visible instance of a light source in the painting which comes from the child in the left corner, the small flame from the match he holds is only reflected on shaft of the