Eternal Silence
Chicago's Graceland Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the city's luminaries. The cemetery is park-like and quite lovely, but this monument gave me the willies.
Known as "Eternal Silence," the statue, by American sculptor Lorado Taft, marks the gravesite of Chicago hotelier Dexter Graves (c.1793-April 29, 1845). The bronze sculpture, set against a backdrop of black granite, is based on traditional depictions of the Grim Reaper. It is heavily oxidized, which accounts for its blue/green color.
According to folklore, gazing into the eyes of the statue will give the viewer a vision of his or her own death.
Eternal Silence
Chicago's Graceland Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the city's luminaries. The cemetery is park-like and quite lovely, but this monument gave me the willies.
Known as "Eternal Silence," the statue, by American sculptor Lorado Taft, marks the gravesite of Chicago hotelier Dexter Graves (c.1793-April 29, 1845). The bronze sculpture, set against a backdrop of black granite, is based on traditional depictions of the Grim Reaper. It is heavily oxidized, which accounts for its blue/green color.
According to folklore, gazing into the eyes of the statue will give the viewer a vision of his or her own death.