Klimt × Rachmaninoff: The Sweet Melody and the Shadow of Death. The 'Hope' They Found in the Depths of Despair in 1907

There are moments when you feel like giving up, thinking, 'It might be too late.'

When you've fallen to the bottom of a dark pit and have no idea how to get out.

But precisely because you were in such deep darkness, there must be a 'small light' you were able to notice for the first time.

An Uneasy Shadow Lurking Within Beautiful Gold

Gustav Klimt, Hope II, 1907-08, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York

A woman adorned in vibrant patterns gently casts her gaze upon her swollen belly.

However, take a closer look just below her belly.

There, a 'skull' is subtly depicted, seemingly peering out at us.

Why does a symbol of 'death' lurk in a painting depicting the birth of life?