Burying the Dead 1732 - 1763

François Hutin created this etching called, Burying the Dead. In this piece, we see a crowd gathered, some carrying torches, around what appears to be a burial scene. Made in France during the first half of the 18th century, at a time of great social division, this image offers insight into the period’s attitudes towards death, class, and civic responsibility. The architecture in the background looks like that of a public building such as a hospital, while the crowd is gathered at its entrance. Hutin appears to be interested in the institutional management of life and death, and his attention to detail, especially the variety of figures and their emotional responses, suggests a critique of social hierarchy. To fully understand Hutin’s message, one might consider the role of the church, the hospitals, and civic governance in the management of death, exploring how these institutions reflected and reinforced social inequalities. The history is in the archives, waiting to be discovered and reinterpreted through images like these.