Flies in Art: Symbolism of Decay and Mortality
Since the Middle Ages, flies have appeared in artworks symbolizing death or the decay of both body and soul. In Renaissance portraits, the presence of a fly represents the fleeting nature of human existence. Artists aimed to convey the notion that in the universe, our lives are no longer than those of insects.
The painting “Portrait of a Woman in the Hofer Family” with a fly resting on the character’s cloth.
One of the famous paintings featuring a fly is the “Portrait of a Woman in the Hofer Family,” painted around 1470 and currently housed in the National Gallery in London. The fly resting on the pristine white cloth of the character suggests that our lives, like the girl in the painting, are impermanent. Therefore, we must make the best of the time we have.
When it comes to time and eternity, the artist-poet William Blake wrote:
Am I not
A fly like you?
Or are you not
A man like me?
Sometimes, artists paint a fly to draw attention, achieved through the “trompe-l’oeil” technique (deceptive realism). They depict the fly so realistically that viewers of the portrait feel the urge to swat it away. The Italian artist Giorgio Vasari, who wrote biographies of Renaissance artists, recounted how the painter Giotto teased his teacher Cimabue by adding a lifelike fly to his painting.
Salvador Dalí was known as the “fly master” for his frequent depictions of this insect. In his famous painting “The Persistence of Memory,” he painted a fly resting on a clock. This artwork is currently preserved at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Spanish artist also used an ant colony to symbolize the decay of time and the transience of life.
Entomologist Ron Cherry has commented on the connection between flies and death. He noted that Renaissance thought often blended allegorical stories. Flies were regarded as symbols of supernatural power, primarily associated with evil and decay, as they thrive on rotten fruit and decomposing organic matter. Flies were seen as omens of misfortune such as plagues and death.
Here are some paintings featuring flies:
Artist Petrus Christus painted a fly resting on the ledge in front of the character. This painting is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
In Carlo Crivelli’s painting, a fly rests on the ledge, capturing the character’s attention.
Works by Verena Vickers (left) and Carlo Crivelli (right) featuring a fly on a hat and wall.
A fly resting on a clock in Salvador Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory.”
