Old Couple and Death with Bagpipes
Werner van den Valckert Dutch
Not on view
The Old Couple and Death with Bagpipes is part of a pair of prints relating to the traditional theme the Dance of Death. In the pendant to this print, a frightening Death, his skull sprouting snakes, approaches a wealthy young couple who fight him as they protect their riches. In this print a poor, elderly couple have lived a long life and willingly follow a Death, crowned with a wreath, who leads them to the tune of his bagpipe. The Dutch painter Werner van den Valckert created a number of etchings early in his career. Several of these are genre subjects that comment on the foolishness of the world.