Heute Roth, Morgen Tod (Today Red, Tomorrow Dead)
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 38.2 × 27.8 cm (15 1/16 × 10 15/16 in.) sheet: 42.5 × 30.6 cm (16 3/4 × 12 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.414
Art Historical Context
Eugen Napoleon Neureuther’s 1839 etching *Heute Roth, Morgen Tod* (Today Red, Tomorrow Dead) offers a striking meditation on life’s brevity. The German title evokes the vividness of the present—symbolized by the color red—contrasted with the inevitability of death. Created during the Romantic era, the print captures a widespread 19th-century fascination with memento mori themes, reminding viewers to reflect on mortality amid life’s fleeting beauty. Executed as an etching on laid paper, the work highlights the medium’s capacity for fine detail and expressive line work. The plate size of roughl...