Friday, September 17, 2010

Masque of the Red Death Photo - Amelia

Illustration for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" by Harry Clarke
This is a beautiful illustration of the moments after Prince Prospero's death.  I believe it is after he died, for his dagger is laying on the floor, meaning the prince's power has already been lost. I notice the extravagant details of the decorations the prince used for his twisted masquerade ball. The costumes, the masks, the drapes, the magnificent room, all in the prince's attempt to escape mortality. The Red Death is in the black room with the clock, with the party-goers in the background, cowering in fear. I believe the pieces of cloth unraveling out of the clock symbolize the time running out for everyone at the party. All of their lives are about to end, their mortality finally accepted.

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