The Sculptor's Funeral

The palm leaf is a common Christian symbol for victory and Christ. The Bible notes that the people of Jerusalem threw palm leaves at the feet of Jesus as he entered the city just days before he was betrayed and crucified. The palm leaf on Merrick’s casket symbolizes both his success as an artist and his betrayal by the townspeople whose inability to recognize the value of his artistic successes condemned him to a life of bitterness and exile. The palm leaf also fits into a larger motif of Christian imagery that depicts the sculptor as a sainted martyr for his appreciation of beauty; the townspeople condemn the artist, just as the public condemned Christ by calling for his crucifixion. This connection is made explicit when Steavens recalls a conversation in which Merrick bitterly explained that he “has nothing to fear from the judgment of God,” suggesting that it will be less stringent than the condemnation he will face from the people in his hometown. He also compares his art to a “Victory,” which evokes the palm leaf motif as it develops the theme of The Artist Against Society (334).