Arts

A Burning Question: Van Gogh’s “Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette”

28 October 2025

Welcome to a new section in The Ravenna High Times called "Raven Writers". This is a new section where reader can enjoy a continuous story published in each issue. The story is written by Cheyanne Foster, a sophomore at Ravenna High School.

Cheyanne Foster is a sophomore at RHS, and this is her first year writing for the newspaper. She enjoys performing for the Drama Club, as well as playing volleyball, pickleball, softball, and occasionally basketball. Her favorite pastimes are reading, drawing, watching TV, cooking, baking, and learning about both animal and human anatomy. Cheyanne was a part of the student council her freshman year. She plans on attending KSU, majoring in Zoology, and having a minor in theater performance. Cheyanne enjoys spending time with God, and her family and friends.

Mr. Spider

Written by Cheyanne Foster

My story begins with a vicious faceoff between me and a black, spindly arachnid with microscopic black eyes. Every second, its body would twitch, and I waited in fear to see whether or not it wished to kill me. My mind juggled theories: did it come from the crack in the ceiling, or was it a gift of torment? The fact that it ruined my precious breakfast time made me even more upset. It hovered above my head while cereal balanced on a white abyss of almond milk, as if watching a sitcom of a teenage girl struggling between panic and gaining fortitude.

A couple hours passed, and the couch welcomed me with its soft, velvety cushion. Throughout the day I completed chores, avoiding the eye and wrath of the spider which followed me. A click-clack resonated in my ears, then I heard a collection of footsteps, and realized my mother finally arrived home from her weekend trip to Vegas.

“Are you having fun daydreaming about walls, Judie?”

Great. Apparently the household camera captured me staring at the dull, white walls, and she must’ve thought that I found a new obsession. After staring at the TV screen, I jumped off the couch and we entered the kitchen together. She set multiple bags on the counter, smoothing her wrinkled clothes. A sigh escaped from her lips, and I noticed that her eyes seemed darker.

“Mom, I understand that you would like to rest now, and I hope you had a ton of fun, but there are more important matters as I speak.” She gazed at me calculatingly and incredulously. Perhaps I was being way too dramatic?

“Care to give me a better explanation?”

“That spider won’t leave me alone, I think we should get rid of it, don’t you think?” I pointed hastily at it, hoping she would grab a shoe and kill it since I couldn’t muster the courage to do so.

“What spider? There’s nothing there.”

Not only do I feel inferior, but I begin to feel crazy due to her response. The spider crosses the room, inching closer and closer to the kitchen. As I stared at it move gracefully, I could feel the piercing gaze of my mother. I didn’t need to become a psychic to understand her growing concern for my mental state. She returns to organizing whatever was contained in the bags.

A gravelly voice which sounds as if it has lived many years says from behind me, “I shall depart soon after you complete a task for me.”

“What is it?” I ask, his voice being the only one I hear.

“Carry me to my home, as I cannot comprehend the way. I remember a bush outside of this castle. Please take me to my family.”

Before, it was fear. Now, it was guilt. Escaping from my mother’s view, I take a deep breath, and converge to the wall. The spider climbs down to me, taking his spot upon my stretched hand. The feeling wasn’t pleasant, but I realized that he had a family, and I can’t kill him. When we reach the front porch, he exclaims, “Over there!”

I lay him down on the rocks, watching him travel towards a nearby bush.

“Thank you for your kind generosity, lady! May you be blessed for the rest of your prosperous days.”

A smile reached my face, and I felt like a hero. From then on, my fear for spiders vanished, and I continued to resettle them as they appeared sporadically in our home.

Mrs. Maull's Pick

By Sydney Fackler

28 October 2025

Mrs. Maull chose Kinsey Dunch’s art work! Students in Mixed Media have been working on collages, picking their favorite animals and using pieces of newspaper, magazines, and more, to create the image of the animal. This project was created to have the students get more comfortable with the values of colors and discover new ways to use them. If you look closely at the art work, you can notice Kinsey went out of her way to not only make the piece with smaller scraps of paper, but also put her all in details capturing the cat's features.

Fascination

By Jude Szijarto

28 October 2025

People all over the world have become more interested in seeing the Northern Lights — the colorful lights that glow across the night sky near the North and South Poles. This year, the lights have been stronger and easier to see because of increased solar activity, which happens every 11 years.

Tourists have been traveling to places like Iceland, Norway, Canada, and Alaska in record numbers just to catch a glimpse of the green, pink, and purple waves of light. Some travelers have even seen them from unexpected places farther south, such as parts of Europe and the northern United States.

Scientists say the Northern Lights happen when particles from the sun hit Earth’s atmosphere, creating glowing colors in the sky. The stronger the solar storm, the brighter and wider the lights appear.

Experts are reminding travelers to respect the environment while chasing the lights, since these areas are often fragile and home to wildlife. Still, the growing fascination shows how nature continues to inspire wonder and bring people together. As one tourist said, “It makes you realize how small you are — but in a beautiful way.”

A Burning Question: Van Gogh’s “Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette”

By Alexis Day

28 October 2025

A Burning Question: Vincent Van Gogh’s “Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette”

Vincent van Gogh, one of the most famous painters in history, is best known for his swirling skies and vibrant portraits—but one of his strangest works is Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette (1885–86). At first glance, it looks darkly humorous: a skeleton casually smoking, painted in muted tones against a black background. But behind the odd image lies deeper meaning.

Van Gogh created the piece while studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. At the time, art students often practiced anatomy by sketching skeletons. However, Van Gogh added the cigarette as a rebellious joke—mocking the rigid academic style of his classes. Some art historians see it as a playful protest; others interpret it as a reflection of his fragile health and fascination with mortality.

The painting also carries a touch of irony. Van Gogh struggled with illness and poverty throughout his short life, and smoking was common among artists despite its risks. The skeleton’s cigarette may be both a symbol of life’s fleeting pleasures and a quiet acknowledgment of death’s inevitability.

Though it’s small and rarely displayed, Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette remains one of Van Gogh’s most intriguing and haunting works.

Page updated

Report abuse