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Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman tending a fire
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Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman tending a fire
Skeleton of death aiming a dart at a woman using bellows in front of a fireplace. Death and the Industrious Wife. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Joshua Gleadah after an illustration by Benedictus Antonio Van Assen from The British Dance of Death, Hodgson, London, 1823
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Media ID 23382346
© Florilegius
Aiming Antonio Arrow Assen Benedictus Bicorn Cruikshank Dart Epaulettes Gleadah Joshua Musket Regency Skeleton Tending Warrior
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Death, personified as a skeleton in military uniform, takes aim with a menacing dart at a woman intently focused on tending to a fire. This haunting image, entitled "Death and the Industrious Wife," is a handcoloured copperplate engraving taken from The British Dance of Death, published in London in 1823. The engraving is based on an illustration by Benedictus Antonio Van Assen, with Joshua Gleadah responsible for the execution in print. The skeleton, dressed in the regalia of a military officer, wears a bicorn hat adorned with a feather, epaulettes, and carries a sword and musket. His stern expression and piercing gaze convey the inescapable inevitability of death. In stark contrast, the woman, dressed in the simple attire of the era, is absorbed in her task of adding coal to the fire using a bellows. Her back is turned to the skeleton, oblivious to the imminent threat lurking behind her. This image is a poignant reminder of the transience of life and the inevitability of death, a theme that was popular during the Regency era. The Dance of Death series, which originated in Europe during the 15th century, depicted death as a skeleton claiming victims from all walks of life, regardless of their social status or age. This particular image, with its powerful symbolism and intricate detail, is a testament to the enduring appeal of this morbid yet thought-provoking subject matter.
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