Death and the Woodcutter, 4th plate (La Mort et le bûcheron)
1888
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1888
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This etching shows a woodcutter lying on the ground, exhausted. A skeletal figure looms over him, one hand resting on a tree. The background is full of tangled branches and rough terrain. The woodcutter’s tools—a saw and an axe—lie nearby, unused. The contrast between life and death is sharp: the living man’s muscles are detailed, while the reaper’s bones are stark lines. Next, check out etching to see how artists like Legros carved this scene.
