Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette ☷ Van Gogh ☲ Art Print Frame Color:Natural It is closely paired with

It is closely paired with The Astronomer

Sunrise (1872

It is interpreted as an emblem of life's transience and individual salvation

The painting is a significant example of Rückenfigur (a rear-facing figure that is not the primary subject)

Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette ☷ Van Gogh ☲ Art Print Frame Color:Natural It is closely paired withSkull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette (1886) by Vincent van Gogh is self descriptive. He depicted skeletons and skulls only a few times in his career. It is considered a memento mori, a reminder of death, at a time when he himself was in poor health. One might interpret it as a criticism of smoking, but van Gogh was an avid smoker until his death in 1890.