Death of Subercaze 1841 - 1851

Charles Jacque created this etching, "Death of Subercaze", in the 19th century. The print depicts a scene of mourning, steeped in the Romantic era's fascination with mortality and the sublime. At the forefront, a woman is shown overcome with grief. Her flowing dress and disheveled hair mark her as a figure of heightened emotion, characteristic of Romantic representations of women. The image subtly weaves together themes of gender, loss, and vulnerability within a specific cultural context. The print invites us to consider the roles that women were often assigned in artistic and social spheres. In the background, a group of figures gathers with a harp, perhaps to carry out a ritual. However, lurking at the bottom right is a large snake. This symbol of death can be interpreted as Jacque’s own reflection on the inevitability of death. The print thus encapsulates a deeply personal, emotional response to loss, while reflecting broader societal attitudes toward death and gender.