Plate Six of Triumph of Death, Triumph of Divinity, Triumph of Poverty 1780

Curator: Christian von Mechel created this print, Plate Six of Triumph of Death, Triumph of Divinity, Triumph of Poverty. It’s housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The stark contrast immediately strikes me. There are four vignettes, each a macabre dance with death. What tools did he use to create such sharp lines? Curator: Von Mechel was a master engraver. These scenes draw heavily from earlier Dance of Death traditions, reflecting social anxieties of the era. We see death visiting the wealthy, the powerful, and even the pious. Editor: Engraving allowed for precise, repeatable imagery, accessible to a wide audience, and the image reproduction technology mirrors that time. Death, the great leveler, is depicted here disrupting the lives of the privileged. A critique of social hierarchy perhaps? Curator: Precisely! This print highlights the universality of death, but also subtly critiques the social structures that attempt to deny or evade it. Editor: These small copper plates were about making social statements, right? With mass production techniques allowing these images to circulate widely. Curator: Yes, exactly, prints like these fostered critical discourse. Editor: It’s a powerful statement, even centuries later, reminding us of mortality’s impartial hand.