On the Bones of Our Ancestors

On the Bones of Our Ancestors presents an arched passage framed by halves of two green columns. Within the dark, mottled interior, what first appears to be a gate reveals itself upon closer examination to be constructed from bones. The title makes the discovery unavoidable: the passage into what lies ahead is guarded, in a sense, by those who came before.

Beyond the bone gate, a smaller square opening outlined in red reveals blue sky and clouds. The glimpse of light and open sky stands in striking contrast to the enclosed, earthen darkness of the interior. As in Reinike’s other arches, the opening suggests passage toward something beyond the immediate world; the clouds carry with them the possibility of an ideal that can be seen but never completely possessed.

The painting brings together ancestry, mortality, and aspiration. It suggestsa world inherited from those who came before, while the opening beyond remains a reminder of what lies ahead.