Rose - Art

Rose is a monochromatic piece that depicts a black rose, a symbol of mourning and death. The rose in this painting is not a symbol of love and romance, the way that typically colored roses, such as yellow and red roses, are generally seen. The black rose is an ominous sign, a malicious indicator of pending death. Black roses are also used to show a death as occurred, as a symbol of the family’s mourning.

The decision to show a black rose as the subject of this painting is intriguing. The rose itself is not beautiful. In fact, its shape is quite indistinct and lacks definition between the rose’s petals. This painting gives a mere impression of the shape of a black rose. The essence of the black rose comes forth, such as its forbidding meaning and a resultant sense of heightened anxiety. Yet the form of the rose itself is marred and abstracted, until it is almost ugly. Rose gives an interesting take on one of mankind’s most beloved flowers, showing the capacity of the rose to instill fear and create grief and sorrow.

©1998-2009 Claretta Taylor Webb. All Rights Reserved