The famous oil painting Et In Arcadia Ego is difficult to find out the inter meaning. It is known as the most difficult workings to interpretation in art history. Arcadia was celebrated as an unspoiled, harmonious wilderness in ancient fame. The painting depicts a wild land where warm sunshine overshines the tombstone. There are only several trees around the tombstone. The background is blue sky. Four shepherds, wearing crowns, taking crosiers, are reading the inscription in the tombstone. A shepherd with beard are kneeling down and reading out the inscription. He turns around and says something to the female shepherd in his left side. The inscription is “Et In Arcadia Ego.”

According to art historian, Et means death. So the meaning of inscription seems that even in the land of heaven, death is inevitably avoided. Obviously, this is a kind of exclamation that scenery is good, but life is short. From the left shepherd’s facial expression, who leans on the tombstone, he is looking down which seems to miss the dead in contrast to the woman. The woman wears blue dress which is the most outstanding color in the painting. The female figure is difficult to interpret. It is said that she represents the wonderful life. Even though she looks down and listens carefully to the inscription, which gives us a sense of comfort. Doubt and comfort, melancholy and sorrow, all are about philosophy of life, which makes people thinking deeply. The female and male shepherds show us a contrast of different emotions. It seems to tell people: “why do we need to fear death? Arcadia is the place which people dream of.”