Death Surprising a Woman c. 1490 - 1540

"Death Surprising a Woman" is an anonymous engraving dating from around 1490-1540, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The artwork depicts a nude woman, surprised by Death, who stands on her left and holds an hourglass, a symbol of the passage of time. Death, in the form of a skeletal figure, is a common theme in art of this period, often representing mortality and the fragility of human life. The woman's reflection in a mirror, which is partially obscured by a curtain, creates a sense of mystery and reinforces the fleeting nature of beauty and youth. This engraving exemplifies the 15th and 16th century artistic fascination with the macabre and the reminder of the inevitability of death.