The first recorded usage of the phrase Et In Arcadia Ego was in the painting below (left) by Guercino. A good reminder that there are hard limits on human existence, the phrase reminds me to make art instead of spending time on other, lesser things.
Years ago, I was surprised to find Et In Arcadia? inscribed on a concrete sculpture by Manfred May, a now-deceased local artist whose work is a major source of inspiration. Themes of mortality, animism, reverence for nature, liminal places, and change are central to my art (center).
![](https://in-arcadia.ca/portfolio/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/1024px-Et-in-Arcadia-ego.jpg)
![](https://in-arcadia.ca/portfolio/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/crowskull.jpg)
![](https://in-arcadia.ca/portfolio/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/manfred.jpg)