Tomb of Louis XVI and his family, with hidden silhouettes 1793 - 1800

This anonymous engraving depicts the tomb of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, their son Louis XVII, and Marie Antoinette's sister, Élisabeth, in a sorrowful and somber scene. Created between 1793 and 1800, it likely served as a memento mori, reflecting the tragedy of the French Revolution and the execution of the royal family. The visual composition, featuring a draped tomb, weeping figures, and a faint halo, evokes a sense of mourning and the fragility of life. The work is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, offering a poignant glimpse into the political and social upheaval of late 18th-century France.