King James I of England on his deathbed, attended by courtiers trying to poison him. Etching by or after W. Hollar, ca. 1672.

  • Hollar, Wenceslaus, 1607-1677.
Date:
1672
Reference:
36283i
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Description

Each figure has a speech banner emerging from his mouth, bearing one sentence. 'Sumus fumus': we are smoke, expressing human ephemerality

Publication/Creation

[London?]

Physical description

1 print : etching

Lettering

I'll warrant you. Thanks to the chymist. Sumus fumus. Not by art but chymicallie

References note

Alastair Bellany and Thomas Cogswell, The murder of King James I, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015

Reference

Wellcome Collection 36283i

Type/Technique

Languages

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