This black-feathered “raven cape” foreshadows the deadly finale of Deliverance’s dance-hall performance. Ravens, like some other birds of prey, are traditionally associated with death. McQueen’s use of such memento mori devices connects his work with other art historical representations of life’s transience—and preciousness. For instance, in Jean-Baptiste Auguste Clésinger’s vanitas, an owl peering at a crowned human skull symbolizes the futility of material wealth in the face of fate. In Albrecht Dürer’s depiction of a bride, the figure wielding a skull-emblazoned coat of arms likewise illustrates the constant specter of mortality, present even during life’s celebratory moments.