Allegorie op de dood 1832 - 1891

This drawing, "Allegory on Death," was created by Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate in the Netherlands in the late 19th century. It presents a view on mortality that was very common at this time. The image depicts a person lying down, seemingly lifeless, attended by angels and cherubs. The inclusion of such figures indicates how Dutch society had been influenced by Christian beliefs about the afterlife, and of divine protection for the soul as it leaves the earthly body. To understand this work better, we might research Dutch religious practices in the 1800s, and how the population responded to historical events such as wars, disease outbreaks, or economic hardships. These might give us a clearer picture of what this image meant to the people who saw it at the time it was made. Studying the social and institutional context in which art is made helps us understand what the art meant at the time, and what it might mean to us today.