Fun fact about the movie poster for the 1991 movie The Silence of the Lambs: the skull on the backside of the moth covering Jodie Foster‘s mouth is actually a photo of naked women from 1951, “In Voluptas Mors.” It was conceived of by Salvador Dali and was shot by Philippe Halsman.
Second fun fact: the moth it depicts is real. The death’s-head hawkmoth is a real moth found primarily in Europe, and it appears to have a human skull on its back.
Check out the photos below, including the actual Dali artwork, and a photo of the real death’s-head hawkmoth:
“The Silence of the Lambs” butterfly from the movie poster
“In Voluptas Mors,” photograph by Philippe Halsman (in collaboration with Salvador Dalí), 1951
Death’s-head Hawkmoth
(via Awesomenator)