The Canon

Category

Library Item

Item no

28459

Title

The Canon

Description

The canon is taken by Death. The canon, on the right of the image, is dressed in the furred robes typically worn by men of his position; the animal tails on the cowl confirm this. Death, on the left, is a corpse-like figure with a hole in his abdomen; he takes hold of the canon's hand. In this case, Death appears to be a reflection and a reminder of the canon's future, whose body will soon wither and decay; this is perhaps hinted at further by Death's hair, which resembles the canon's.

Artist / maker

Chovin, Jacques-Antoine

Date

1830

Size

12.0 x 10.5 cm

Type

Engraving

Location

Art and Design Library

The verses which were printed with the engraving further document the canon's meeting with Death. Death, ever the ironist, says that although the canon used to lead the singing in his cathedral, he must now listen to Death's music; the canon accordingly says that he finds this sound fearful and frightening.
This engraving is from Jacques-Antoine Chovin's Dance of Death series, which was first published in 1744. Chovin's Dance is a copy of an earlier one by Matthäus Merian, which in turn was based on a mural in the Swiss town of Basel. This particular image is taken from an edition which was published around 1830; this volume is part of Central Library's Dance of Death Collection.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Robes

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shawls

People > Body parts > Skeletons

People > Religion > Clergy