Death with an Arrow About to Strike Man Down, from Allegory of the Misuse of Worldly Property

About this artwork

This print series uses symbolic imagery to criticize the love and pursuit of worldly and material goods. A well-to-do man in a white neck ruff is repeatedly tempted by bags of gold presented to him by a blindfolded cupid and a horned demon. In the first print, the Devil sits before an easel, painting the man’s heart with images of women and jewels, while a woman ties a cord around the man’s ankle, binding him to the sin of lust. In the second, Cupid has been transformed from a symbol of pure lov...

Art Historical Context

Created in 1609 by Dutch artist Willem van Swanenburgh, this engraving forms part of the series *Allegory of the Misuse of Worldly Property*. The dramatic scene shows Death poised with an arrow, ready to strike a man, vividly illustrating the suddenness of mortality and the fleeting nature of earthly possessions. Such imagery served as a stark moral warning during the early seventeenth century, a period when religious and ethical reflections on wealth and transience were common in Northern European art. As an engraving on ivory laid paper, the work exemplifies the medium’s power to disseminate complex ideas widely and affordably. Fine lines and precise shading allow for intricate detail, making the allegorical message both accessible and visually compelling to a broad audience. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, this piece invites viewers to reflect on the timeless tension between material pursuits and life’s impermanence.