Alfonso Michel

As in the work entitled <i>Agonía</i>, an evident allusion to transmutation of life exists here. Elements constitute at the same time an iconography characteristic of the painting by Michel as well as scatological images because they belong to the vision of death practically announced and, for moments, perhaps invoked constantly by the artist. Since his earlier works, the center of the composition generally was filled for fruit bowls with appetizing grapes and apples, or flower vases with bouquets, or bowls and full or half-full goblets with water or translucid liquids; on the other hand, the still lifes of the last decade are compositions of various objects, in virile artistic interaction, that many times oblique the possible meaning of their apparent arbitrary meeting. The cup of glass, the bottle of wine, the dice and the cards allude clearly to the vices and excesses, amen of the explicit crystal skull that gives sinister title to <i>Naturaleza muerte</i> and because of its contents functions likewise as a vanita of reflection.