The Gender of Death: A Cultural History in Art and Literature

by Karl Siegfried Guthke

In this illustrated historical survey of the image of death in art and literature Karl S. Guthke assesses the significance of the various personifications of death in different ages and cultures, as male or female, enemy or lover, friend or avenger, angel or devil. Guthke shows that such images are reflections of the life and cultures that produced them, and through them he offers astonishing new insights into the nature and perception of the Western self in its cultural, intellectual, and literary context.

Genres: Nonfiction, Death, Art, History

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 1999

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the various depictions/representations of Death within art and literature throughout history; the author provides a clear and thorough analysis of genderized Death and the implications/origins behind such depictions.

[Jenn Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on death is hard to find, and I would not say that this ranks among the best. Guthke does an amazing job in presenting a history of visual and literary death, using painting, poetry, and fiction to chronicle how personified death has appeared through the ages. I learned a lot by reading his study. What became most clear, however, was Guthke's insistence that death has a esoteric function as female. While he does pay attention to death as male, just look at the cover of his book. In the end, I found it problematic that he, like Elizabeth Bronfen for example, has a real investment in presenting death as feminized or feminizing. The gender politics seem unsound. And extremely untrue.