Allegory of the Death of a Religious Man
early 17th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown and blue ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 9/16 × 6 5/16 in. (19.2 × 16 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 2014
Accession Number
2014.790
Tags
Art Historical Context
Frans Francken II, a leading Flemish artist of the Baroque era, created this intimate drawing in the early 1600s. The scene captures the solemn moment of a religious man’s passing, surrounded by angels in a modest bedroom setting. Such allegorical depictions were common during the Counter-Reformation, when art encouraged viewers to reflect on mortality, faith, and the soul’s journey to salvation. Executed in pen and brown ink with delicate washes of blue, the work demonstrates Francken’s skill at conveying emotion through subtle tonal contrasts and expressive linework. The compact sheet, meas...