The Gentleman and Death, by Camprobín (1670, c.)

The Gentleman and Death, by Camprobín (1670, c.)

A woman on the left partially covers her face with a veil. Her eye and part of her right hand are not covered by the veil. The rest of her body is portrayed as a skeleton. A man on the right looks at her while holding his hat.
Several traditions are combined in this painting: that of death as a female character, and of prostitutes as using veils while practicing their trade and requesting clients. Death is identified as a female allegorical entity, common in Spanish and other languages. However, we, the viewers, see her lack of sexual attributes under the dark coat. Only the eye and the hand are fleshed and uncovered. The shape of the hole through which we see the eye and the hole of the guitar add a feminine touch to the image. Some degree of sexual tension is present.  Given the type of encounter, the tradition of those who see an apparition of themselves in the future as skeletons or corpses is also present. In this case, the male character is confronted by a corpse that can stage female identity.

Camprobín, Pedro de (attributed to) (1605-1674)

1670, c.

Oil on canvas.
Dimensions: Unknown