We see them everyday: skull and rose tattoos. Skulls have appeared in several forms of art for centuries (as have roses). Together they make for a beautiful design and we’ve put together a collection of skull and rose tattoo designs in a variety of tattoo styles, with a dash of art history for shits and giggles.

Watercolor Flowers in Skull - Ad Pancho

Tattoo Artist: Alex Pancho

Skull Tattoo - Craig Gardyan

Tattoo Artist: Craig Gardyan

Skull Roses Sleeve - Max Pniewski

Tattoo Artist: Max Pniewski

Archeologists have discovered  that skulls were used as decoration as early as 7200 BC in the Middle East. This predates writing, so there’s no way of knowing what they symbolized at the time. The takeaway here is that mankind has pretty much seen skulls as badass since, well, mankind.

Skull and Roses Tattoo - David Mushaney

Tattoo Artist: David Mushaney

Skull and Rose Realism Tattoo - Kegan Hawkins

Tattoo Artist: Kegan Hawkins

Roses have also inspired a variety of artists in many art forms throughout history. They appear as symbols in mythology, religions, poetry, paintings, and more.

Rose Skull Tattoo - Nick Chaboya

Tattoo Artist: Nick Chaboya

Realistic Skull Raven - Várnai Krisztina

Tattoo Artist: Várnai Krisztina

Realism Owl Rose Skull - Michael Litovkin

Tattoo Artist: Michael Litovkin

The skull and rose together makes for a beautiful piece of art. While the skull and rose is a popular tattoo, when you get one by a truly talented tattoo artist (emphasis on  artist ), you don’t just walk away with a unique design: you have an amazing piece of art.

Realism Girly Skull Rose - Paul Acker

Tattoo Artist: Paul Acker

Illustrative Skull Rose Tattoo - Tom Foolery

Tattoo Artist: Tom Muron (aka Tom Foolery)

Flowery Skull Tattoo - James McKenna

Tattoo Artist: James McKenna

Flower Petals Skull Tattoo - Scott Harrison

Tattoo Artist: Scott Harrison

Black Gray Realism Tattoo - Skull Rosary - Matteo Pasqualin

Tattoo Artist: Matteo Pasqualin

Hopefully these perfect skull tattoos inspire you to seek a tattoo artists who truly views tattooing as an art form, not a job. Do not take these photos and ask for replications, let these pictures serve a source of *inspiration*. Respect the individuality of art.

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