A Winter-y Death

In The Death of the Grave-digger, a man with a thick grey beard is standing outside in a grave and a dark angel, holding a green light is hovering over him. The man is wearing a burlap looking dress which shows that this painting took place a long time ago. They are surrounded by tombstones, snow and a willow tree which is falling behind the angel of death. Clouds are covering the sun and the cemetery is coveyed in a dark gloomy setting. The frail old man is looking up at the angel and her black wings surround him. He looks like he is holding his heart, the heart is symbolic because it represents life, without the heart we would die. The green light the angel is holding is symbolic for plants, flowers and life, which she is taking away. The angel has a hand pointing upward toward the sky, showing that she is sending his life and the green light upward toward heaven.The green light stands out in the white and black background and accentuates that everything is dead and cold. The painting takes place in a wintery background. Winter is a time of death when trees and leafless and flowers and dull with no life or color. The snow and ice have killed the flowers at the bottom of the grave and all that are left are short, brown buds. Another symbol of death are the surrounding tombstones showing the death of others in the cemetery. It is ironic that the grave digger is dying because he is the one that is usually burring other people, also he is still holding a shovel in his hand infering that he has "dug his own grave". The weeping willow is hovering over him and the angel which symbolizes sadness and crying. The picture of The Death of the Grave-digger is a great example for the emotions that are felt during death; sadness, feeling alone and cold.