A blindfolded naked man is mowing a field with his scythe; representing the mercilessness of death. Engraving.

Date:
[between 1600 and 1699]
Reference:
38995i
  • Pictures
  • Online

Available online

view A blindfolded naked man is mowing a field with his scythe; representing the mercilessness of death. Engraving.

Public Domain Mark

You can use this work for any purpose without restriction under copyright law. Read more about this licence.

Credit

A blindfolded naked man is mowing a field with his scythe; representing the mercilessness of death. Engraving. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Death is shown, unusually, not as a skeleton but as a muscular man attacking the crop vigorously but blindly: he wears a blindfold (hence "non videt te" -- he does not see you but he attacks you)

Publication/Creation

[Italy] : [publisher not identified], [between 1600 and 1699]

Physical description

1 print : engraving, with etching ; image 12.7 x 10.6 cm

Lettering

In si fecondo e raro campo dell' universo a si gran messe intenta, non valore e non belleza morte pauenta o prezza. Non sa che sia pieta, non dolce o' amaro. Ma sempre cieca senza pace o tregua. Il tutto tronca e adegua cieco seca a tondo quant'ha de buono o di maligno il mondo. Ella le monarchie gli Imperi e i Regni anulla e a quel che spira sol ha la mira e i più sublimi ingegni tal han quasi per scherzo par che lassi poi co piu vili e bassi a lor mal grado attira in un per sempre in cosi stranie tempre. Guai se tu non provedi alla strage comun c'hor odi e vedi. Secat tenet non videt te. Superiorum permissu. C.L.O.S. 24.

References note

L'homme et la mort : danses macabres de Dürer à Dali collection de l'Université de Düsseldorf = Mensch und Tod Graphische Blätter und Zeichnungen von Dürer bis Dali Totentanzsammlung der Universität Düsseldorf, Lausanne 1987, no. 1167

Reference

Wellcome Collection 38995i

Languages

Subjects

Where to find it

  • LocationStatusAccess
    Closed stores

Permanent link