Bearing the Weight of Old Bones
Bearing the Weight of Old Bones
Three masked workers carry skeletons seated high above their shoulders. The dead appear almost comfortable—reading a religious book, admiring an expensive jewel, displaying a badge of authority—while the living labor beneath them, burdened by their weight.
Bearing the Weight of Old Bones becomes a metaphor for the past we continue to carry. The “old bones” may represent traditions, institutions, beliefs, conflicts, or expectations inherited from those who came before us. Some may deserve remembrance; others may simply have become burdens we have never thought to put down.
With its touch of dark humor, the painting explores history, inheritance, obligation, and the weight the past places upon the present, asking: How much of what we carry is truly ours?
Details: 5 × 7 inches · Printed on quality paper · Envelope included · $6.00
Artwork: Bearing the Weight of Old Bones by Kimm Barnes