Untitled (Study of a Skull)

Though best known for his realist landscapes, Minnesota artist Mike Lynch has produced a significant number of still life compositions during his career, many dating to a period in the 1970s and early 80s when he occupied a studio bathed in the brilliant light that he thought was essential for working in this genre. His still lifes feature children’s toys and other common and uncommon objects set in strong raking sunlight. Drawn in graphite on buff paper, this exquisite and sensitive rendering of a human skull is one of only a small number of known examples of the subject in the artist’s oeuvre. Besides demonstrating Lynch’s keen observational skills and precise technique, the drawing is also an example of a memento mori (Latin 'remember that you will die'), a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. The subject has a long history among realist painters and sculptors, and it is one that perfectly suits Lynch’s contemplative view of life and art.