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Print

1593 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The theme of Death is a common one in ornament, mainly but not exclusively used for funerals and memorials. Skeletons, skulls, hourglasses, scythes and spades are among the objects most frequently employed to remind the onlooker of the fate that awaits us all. The skeleton, with its ‘dust to dust’ message, suggests an actual personification of Death, though he does not carry his usual scythe and hourglass.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Engraving on paper
Brief description
Print on the theme of death, engraving by Johann Theodore de Bry, Belgium or the Netherlands, 1593
Physical description
Print showing a skeleton pointing at an engraved stone with the words 'dust to dust' in French
Dimensions
  • Height: 28cm
  • Width: 21cm
Gallery label
TWO PRINTS: DEATH Low Countries and France, 1593 and about 1700 Engravings by Johann Theodore de Bry (1528-98) and after Antoine Dieu of Paris (1661-1727) The theme of Death is a common one in ornament, mainly but not exclusively used for funerals and memorials. Skeletons and skulls, hourgalsses, scythes and spades are amongst the objects most frequently used to remind the onlooker of the fater that awaits us all. The de Bry emblem, in the form of a mock heraldic device (case 31) is from his Emblemata Nobilitati et Vulgo Scitu Digna. The Dieu skeleton with its 'dust to dust' message suggests an actual personification of Death, though he does not carry his usual scythe and hourglass. 25247 & 29468.8
Object history
The theme of Death is a common one in ornament, mainly but not exclusively used for funerals and memorials. Skeletons and skulls, hourglasses, scythes and spades are amongst the objects most frequently used to remind the onlooker of the fate that awaits us all. The de Bry emblem (25247), in the form of a mock heraldric device (case 31), is from this Emblemata Nobilitati et Nobilitati de Vulgo Scitu Digna. The Dieu skeleton (29468.8) with its 'dust to dust' message suggests an actual personification of Death, though he does not carry his usual scythe and hourglass.

(Please note that the museum numbers have swapped in this label information. RK 24.11.05)
Subjects depicted
Summary
The theme of Death is a common one in ornament, mainly but not exclusively used for funerals and memorials. Skeletons, skulls, hourglasses, scythes and spades are among the objects most frequently employed to remind the onlooker of the fate that awaits us all. The skeleton, with its ‘dust to dust’ message, suggests an actual personification of Death, though he does not carry his usual scythe and hourglass.
Collection
Accession number
25247

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Record createdJuly 20, 2005
Record URL
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