Death and Life Contrasted – or, An Essay on Man
This satirical response to "fast living" centers on a figure whose left side is a skeleton holding a spade before a tombstone lettered with a quote from Romans 6.23, "The wages of sin is death," with other biblical admonishments below. The figure's right side is fashionably dressed living aristocrat standing in a parkland with a temple similar to one at Stowe in Buckinghamshire. Emblems of the Order of the Garter are part of the man's dress and items that refer to gambling and partying are strewn around his buckled shoe. These include part of a "EO" wheel (an 18th century game similar to roulette), dice and a shaker, cards, and a masquerade ticket to the Pantheon in London. A scroll that confirms the man's "Pedigree" suggests that rank offers no protection from mortality.
Artwork Details
- Title: Death and Life Contrasted – or, An Essay on Man
- Artist: After Robert Dighton the Elder (British, London ca. 1751–1814 London)
- Publisher: Bowles & Carver (British, active 1793–1832)
- Date: [1784], reissued after 1793
- Medium: Etching and engraving
- Dimensions: Plate: 13 15/16 × 9 13/16 in. (35.4 × 25 cm)
Sheet: 14 1/16 × 9 13/16 in. (35.7 × 25 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Bequest of Clifford A. Furst, by exchange, 1974
- Object Number: 1974.547.9
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Robert Dighton the Elder
Bowles & Carver
[1792] reissue 1793 or later
Multiple artists/makers
1806
Multiple artists/makers
May 1808
Robert Dighton the Elder
Haines & Son
June 18, 1795
Robert Dighton the Elder
S. W. Fores
August 21, 1790
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.