Mannen en een schedel met bril 1775 - 1840

Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen made this small engraving called 'Mannen en een schedel met bril,' or 'Men and a Skull with Glasses', sometime before 1840. This work offers a glimpse into the complex intersection of race, class, and mortality in the 18th and 19th centuries. The figures surrounding the skull, identified by numbers 1, 2 and 3, prompt us to consider the social hierarchy and the representation of different identities in this era. The racialized depiction of the two figures at the top, their features and attire, reflect the prevailing attitudes towards race and the exoticization of non-European people. Meanwhile, the figure at the bottom, with his beard and hat, embodies a different social standing, perhaps representing wisdom or authority. The skull, adorned with glasses, introduces a layer of irony. This imagery invites us to contemplate the universality of death, and consider how even the symbols of intellect and status are rendered powerless in the face of mortality.