Death and the Maiden, by Beham (1547)

Death and the Maiden, by Beham (1547)

A nude woman is being held by a skeleton with hair and wings. The skeleton is holding the woman by her hands.

Gender perspective: The angel of Death may be interpreted as a male since it is taller than the woman and its left arm is noticeably strong. However, its left forearm and hand are feminine. The presence of hair on the skull is mostly a female characterization. The Latin inscription, Death abolishes all beauty in man, uses the term "man", often understood to include male and female, but here the term contrasts with the woman threatened by death, who corresponds best to the reference to beauty.

Beham, Hans Sebald (1500-1550)

Art Institute of Chicago, the USA:
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/77458/death-and-the-maiden

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200710201629/https://www.artic.edu/artworks/77458/death-and-the-maiden

Reference Number: 1919.2279

Wikimedia Commons:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Death_and_the_Standing_Nude.jpg

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20171002105243/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Death_and_the_Standing_Nude.jpg

1547

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper,
Dimensions: 7.5 × 4.8 cm