De monnik en de Dood 1651

"De monnik en de Dood" (The Monk and Death) is an etching created by Wenceslaus Hollar in 1651. This artwork depicts a monk running away from a skeletal figure of Death in a richly detailed architectural setting. Hollar, a prolific Czech-born artist, is known for his meticulous detail and precise draftsmanship, evident in this print. The inscription, "Sedentes in tenebris & in umbra mortis vinctos in mendicitate" (Sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in poverty), from Psalm 107:10, further emphasizes the theme of mortality and the transience of life. This etching provides a compelling visual representation of a powerful religious and philosophical concept.