Death's doings; consisting of numerous original compositions, in prose and verse, the friendly contributions of various writers; principally intended as illustrations of twenty four plates, designed and etched by R. Dagley / [Richard Dagley].

  • Dagley, Richard, -1841
Date:
1826
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Death's doings; consisting of numerous original compositions, in prose and verse, the friendly contributions of various writers; principally intended as illustrations of twenty four plates, designed and etched by R. Dagley / [Richard Dagley]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    our being cannot be beneficially held without occasionally adverting to the terms on which it has been granted; and it is sometimes necessary to call in aid the admonitions of the wise and the reflecting, to bring our truant thoughts to a proper estimate of life. In this view, most of the designs of skeleton forms have been presented to the contemplation of the careless and unthinking; but, as has been before observed, few of them have been so ma- naged as not to border on the ludicrous. Of their capability of and tendency to the caricature, a very recent instance appeared in some examples of death-like figures engaged in a variety of oc- cupations, as gambling, dancing, boxing, &c. &c. These designs were chalked on a wall bordering the road from Turnham Green towards Kew Bridge; they were drawn of the natural size, and displayed, on the part of the unknown artist, no small skill in composition and character. Of the artist’s intentions there can be no question: it was to exhibit forms the most strikingly gro- tesque. But they are now swept away, like many