“Skull with Cigarette,” created by M.C. Escher in 1917, is a work of art rendered with pencil and chalk on paper. This piece is associated with the Expressionism art movement and fits within the allegorical painting genre. It currently resides in a private collection.
The artwork showcases a skull adorned with a top hat, poised with a cigarette in its teeth. The use of pencil and chalk imparts a textured, lifelike quality to the skull, while the starkness of the top hat adds a surreal, almost whimsical element. Despite the somber subject matter, the expression is lightened by the cigarette, imbuing the piece with a subtly ironic commentary. The use of shading and highlights gives depth to the skull, simultaneously evoking themes of mortality and the macabre, characteristic of allegorical expression.