A schoolmaster faces Death

The classic skeletal figure of Death, armed with his dart, takes on the role of disciplinarian, delivering a symbolic flogging to the startled schoolmaster, a humorous yet unsettling reminder of life's unavoidable end. A satirical print from Thomas Rowlandson’s celebrated 'The English Dance of Death' a series of 96 plates, published between 1814 and 1816. Accompanied by an irreverent verse by Dr. William Combe, the text draws inspiration from the legend of Hermippus, an ancient schoolmaster who supposedly extended his life well beyond natural limits by inhaling the youthful breath of his students.