A photo from open sources
At the Poblenou Cemetery, or Pueblo Nuevo Nuevo), founded in 1775 and located in Spanish Barcelona, is one of the most mysterious sculptures in the world under the name “Kiss of Death” (Catalan – El Petó de la Mort), which still raises conflicting opinions.
At first glance, the marble sculpture is the universally accepted image of death that kisses the forehead young man. The sculptor is considered the author of this work. Jaume Barba (Jaume Barba), who received for him a decent reward, and then worldwide recognition. However, given that at that time he was over 70 years old, some inclined believe that in reality the creator of the sculpture was Joan Fontbernal (Joan Fontbernal) – the son-in-law of the master and the most skilled sculptor of the Barba family workshop.
A work of art known as the “Kiss of Death”, which even inspired Ingmar Bergman to create the cult film “Seventh Seal”, was commissioned by the Catalan the Llaudet family – inconsolable parents who have lost his young son, around 1930. Sculpture on the grave the youth was supposed to illustrate the lines of the poet Mossen Shinto Verdaguer (Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer), inscribed on a tombstone youths: “His young heart can no longer beat, blood is in my veins cools and freezes, and the spirit, with faith breaking free from the body, merges into kiss with death. ”
A photo from open sources
Sculpture is a scene depicting how death finds a young man and carries him into his kingdom of shadows through a passionate kiss. However this kiss is not enough corresponds to the traditional grim image of death, which interrupts the earthly existence of man.
According to some, such a sculpture as “Kiss death, “takes as its basis the ancient esoteric tradition, considering death as a kind of religious or spiritual dedication. In this case, meeting her is completely different from the traditional idea of the fateful visit of a creepy night guest with a scythe.
To assess this sculpture can be approached with a religious points of view. The Bible, Genesis, says that God created man from the dust of the earth and then breathed into him the breath of life. The kiss of death in this case can be interpreted as a kiss of himself Creator who takes the spirit of man through him and returns him to to myself. And what is death, if not a divine transition from one human condition to another, and its terrible appearance was invented by people only out of fear of this transition? ..
It is curious that in the Jewish Talmud it is written: in the world there is nine hundred and three kinds of death, there are very painful, and the sweetest going through a divine kiss. Maybe that’s why, despite for the first repulsive impression, the sculpture of El Petó de la Mort so attractive to us? After all, it symbolizes the most a wonderful moment in human life (not fully understood by us and conscious) – return to a loving Father through a sweet kiss divine love.
Sculpture Life
