The Kiss of Death (El petó de la mort in Catalan and El beso de la muerte in Spanish) is a marble sculpture in Poblenou Cemetery in Barcelona. The sculpture is thought to have been created by Jaume Barba in 1930, although others have claimed that it was designed by Joan Fontbernat. The sculpture, an example of memento mori art, depicts death, in the form of a winged skeleton, planting a kiss on the forehead of a young man.

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The Kiss of Death
Sculpture "The Kiss of death", at Poblenou Cemetery, Barcelona
Artist	Thought to be Jaume Barba, or Joan Fontbernat
Year	1930
Type	Marble
Location	Poblenou Cemetery, Barcelona

Background

The sculpture is found above the grave of the textile manufacturer Josep Llaudet Soler. The tomb underneath is inscribed with a verse from Jacinto Verdaguer, a Catalan poet:

"His young heart is thus extinguished. The blood in his veins grows cold. And all strength has gone. Faith has been extolled by his fall into the arms of death. Amen."

The sculpture is often said to have inspired The Seventh Seal, by Ingmar Bergman.

Imagery

Rather than depicting death as a winged angel the sculptor instead chose a skeleton. The sculpture shows the youth welcoming death as a partner.[1] This is a common trait of memento mori art, which embraces death and the afterlife.[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kiss of Death (Poblenou Cemetery).

На других языках

[de] El petó de la mort

[es] El beso de la muerte (escultura)