The Triumph of Death

The Triumph of Death by Mexican artist Artemio Rodriguez is a stunning woodcut in nine panels measuring 8 x 12 feet. Carved in birch plywood during his two-week residence at HuiPress in May, then over several weeks at La Mano Press which Rodriguez founded in Los Angeles, the piece refers in exact composition to Pieter Breugel’s famous work by the same name, painted in 1562. Artemio Rodriguez is well known in California for his iconic relief prints that play on traditional themes of death, romance, and human folly that are the mainstay of Mexican folk and contemporary art. The Triumph of Death incorporates in intricate detail the popular Day of the Dead imagery to play on Breugel’s vision of an existence of an earth turned upside down, in which skeletons torture the living. Rodriguez employs his typical wit and criticism with a masterful carving skill and attention to detail in the amazing work. The edition size is ten with six sets published in a deluxe wooden case designed by the artist.

96 x 144 inch woodcut in nine panels on Arches paper