The Miser

Category

Library Item

Item no

28472

Title

The Miser

Description

The miser, on the left, tries in vain to shoo Death from his treasury. Death, the skeletal figure, taunts the miser by taking his gold, although his real purpose is to meet the man with his end; this is indicated by the hourglass and burnt-out candle on the table. This image is a warning against greed and a reminder that money, like all material goods, is worthless in the face of Death.

Artist / maker

von Mechel, Christian

Date

1780

Size

10.2 x 8.2 cm

Type

Engraving

Location

Art and Design Library

This engraving is from Christian von Mechel's Dance of Death series. Mechel's engravings were first published in 1780; this image is from an edition printed in that year which is now kept in Central Library's Dance of Death Collection. Mechel's series was supposed to be a copy of Hans Holbein the Younger's Dance of Death, but it actually borrows more heavily from a Peter Paul Rubens copy of Holbein's series.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Architectural features > Windows

Furnishings > Furniture > Chests

Furnishings > Furniture > Tables

People > Adults > Men

People > Body parts > Skeletons

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