The artwork titled “Devil watering tree of sins and skeleton about to chop it down,” created by the artist Currier and Ives and dated 1845, belongs to the Romanticism art movement and falls under the genre of allegorical painting. This piece depicts a vivid scene filled with symbolic elements that convey deeper moral and spiritual meanings.
The artwork features a large tree labeled “The Tree of Death” with branches bearing various sins, such as lying, murder, and theft, each inscribed within a colored circle. A menacing figure, interpreted as the Devil, is depicted watering the roots of the tree, labeled with the words “Pride, Self-will, Lust of the Eyes, and Lust of the Flesh,” suggesting the nurturing of these vices. To the right, a skeletal figure brandishes an axe, poised to chop down the tree, symbolizing inevitable death. Surrounding elements, including a serpent coiling around the trunk and an angel reaching towards the tree, add further layers of allegory and moral significance to the scene. The dark, clouded background and the twisted, gnarled branches enhance the dramatic and foreboding atmosphere of the composition.