Dead Man Collection

The Platonic Lament, illustration from Salome by Oscar Wilde, 1894 (litho)
DGC288114 The Platonic Lament, illustration from Salome by Oscar Wilde, 1894 (litho) by Beardsley, Aubrey (1872-98); Private Collection; (add.info)

The Duchess Of Malfi by John Webster: A Dead Mans Hand (litho)
5988815 The Duchess Of Malfi by John Webster: A Dead Mans Hand (litho) by Keen, Henry Weston (1899-1935); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Dead Mans Hand)

James, Earl of Douglas, at the fight at Otterburn
LLM455736 James, Earl of Douglas, at the fight at Otterburn by Skelton, Joseph Ratcliffe (fl.1888-1916); Private Collection; (add.info.: James, Earl of Douglas, at the fight at Otterburn)

Dead Man Angel Grave Sunrise (engraving)
1601685 Dead Man Angel Grave Sunrise (engraving) by Absolon, John (1815-95); Private Collection; (add.info.: Dead Man Angel Grave Sunrise. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 2 April 1853)

Plate 6 skirmish two horsemen left dead man ground
Artokoloro

Battle Amalekites Bataille des Amalecites horseback gallop towards
Artokoloro

Dead Man 1830-91 Black chalk Drawings Ernest Meissonier
Artokoloro

skirmish two horsemen battling swords right men carrying
Artokoloro

For sale as Licensed Images

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Amidst the chaos of battlefields and the stillness of graveyards, the image of a dead man lingers, a haunting reminder of life's transience. From Petrarch's Trostspiegel to Oscar Wilde's Salome, artists have captured the poignant beauty of mortality in their works. The Duchess of Malfi's dead man's hand, James, Earl of Douglas's fallen form at Otterburn, and the angel watching over a dead man at sunrise are just a few examples. Meissonier's skirmish illustrations depict the brutal reality of war, with two horsemen locked in a deadly dance, their swords clashing in the air, leaving one lifeless on the ground. The Amalekites' horseback charge towards an unseen enemy, their determination etched on their faces, results in the inevitable - the fall of a dead man. The cycle of life and death continues, a poignant reminder of our fleeting existence.