Oil paint on canvas
Tate Britain
Tate Collection
Works with images
Works on display
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henry-alexander-bowler-46" aria-label="More by Henry Alexander Bowler" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Henry Alexander Bowler</a>
Doubt Can these Dry Bones Live
Presented by H. Archer Bowler 1921
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: insects & lower animals
anxiety
architecture
birth to death
body
bone
butterfly
church
contemplation
death
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
gravestone / tomb
graveyard
horse chestnut
inscriptions
Judaeo-Christian imagery
landscape
Latin text
lich-gate
looking down
objects
path
people
religion and belief
religious
religious
religious and ceremonial
resurrection
Resurrection - butterfly
skull
society
sunshine
symbols and personifications
townscapes / man-made features
weather
woman
wooded
<p>This young woman, leaning on the gravestone of a man called John Faithful, is contemplating religious doubt. In particular, the Christian belief that the dead will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement. Long-standing religious beliefs were being disrupted at the time this was painted. New scientific publications explored theories of evolution, challenging literal readings of the Bible. Her question appears to be answered by the growing chestnut tree and the stone at its base, carved with the word Resurgam’, which translates as ‘I shall rise again’. The blue butterfly on the skull symbolizes the human spirit.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2018</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
1 August 2005 – 2 March 2008
2008-03-02
1 August 2007
2007-08-01
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2005-08-01
Victorian Paintings of Modern Life
Collection based display
5 November 2012 – 20 July 2014
2014-07-20
5 November 2012 – 20 July 2014
2014-07-20
2012-11-05
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2012-11-05
Gallery 9
Collection based display
7 August 2014 – 24 July 2022
2022-07-24
7 August 2014
2014-08-07
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2014-08-07
Gallery 9
Collection based display
The Doubt: ‘Can these Dry Bones Live?’
support: 610 × 508 mm
frame: 788 × 685 × 100 mm
Presented by H. Archer Bowler 1921
<div class="text">
<p>A young woman stands in a graveyard, contemplating the Christian belief that the dead will come back to life on the Day of Judgement. The butterfly on the skull symbolises- the human soul, and a tree rises from a gravestone carved with the word Resurgram’ (I shall rise again). The sprouting chestnut below the inscription seems to answer the woman’s question: ‘Can these dry bones live?’ Around this time, geological and scientific discoveries were challenging traditional readings of the Bible. The Pre-Raphaelites were interested in these new ideas. Here, Bowler attempts to reconcile nature with faith.</p>
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Online caption
2023-11-29T00:00:00
online-caption
ONLINE_CAPTION
actions: postures and motions adults animals: insects & lower animals anxiety architecture birth to death body bone butterfly church contemplation death emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas gravestone / tomb graveyard horse chestnut inscriptions Judaeo-Christian imagery landscape Latin text lich-gate looking down objects path people religion and belief religious religious religious and ceremonial resurrection Resurrection - butterfly skull society sunshine symbols and personifications townscapes / man-made features weather woman wooded