Death with an Arrow About to Strike Man Down, from Allegory of the Misuse of Worldly Property

Art Historical Context

Created in 1609 by Dutch artist Willem van Swanenburgh, this engraving forms part of the series *Allegory of the Misuse of Worldly Property*. The dramatic scene shows Death poised with an arrow, ready to strike a man, vividly illustrating the suddenness of mortality and the fleeting nature of earthly possessions. Such imagery served as a stark moral warning during the early seventeenth century, a period when religious and ethical reflections on wealth and transience were common in Northern European art. As an engraving on ivory laid paper, the work exemplifies the medium’s power to disseminat...