Death and the Bishop, from "The Power of Death" (Allegory of Original Sin and Death) (1541, Met-Objekt 1988)
Original title: Death and the Bishop, from "The Power of Death" (Allegory of Original Sin and Death)
kurzbeschreibung
Heinrich Aldegrever made this small engraving in 1541, setting a bishop face to face with death. A skeleton carrying a lantern and the robed churchman hold the middle of the picture. The sheet belongs to the series "The Power of Death" and takes up the transience of earthly authority.
Description
Up front stands a bishop in rich vestments, crozier in hand, beside a skeleton that embodies death. The skeleton holds out a lantern, which the bishop grasps with his right hand. Behind them appear sheep and another figure, probably a shepherd or a plain man. A landscape with a town and mountains places the action in the countryside. Along the lower edge runs the Latin text: "PERCUTIAM PASTOREM & DISPERGENTVR OVES. XXVI MAR XLI".
Context
Aldegrever produced the sheet in 1541 as part of a series on death, a theme popular in the Reformation era. The Latin saying "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" comes from the book of Zechariah (13:7) and points to the Christian story of salvation. The Westphalian engraver worked strongly under the influence of Albrecht Dürer, which shows in the precise handling of line. The series treats the power of death over every station of life.
Impact
The contrast between the bishop's splendid robes and the bare skeleton is blunt and drives home how quickly earthly power passes. The clear layout and delicate linework give the small format a striking presence.
Technique
Aldegrever used engraving, cutting the lines into a copper plate. The result stays monochrome in black and white; light and shadow arise from lines laid at varying density. With fine, exact strokes the artist worked out details such as the vestments and the landscape.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)