King Death's Distribution of Prizes. Bacchus Takes the First Premium.
1870
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1870
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
King Death's Distribution of Prizes. Bacchus Takes the First Premium. is a 1870 ink by Thomas Nast, a Impressionism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a skeleton in a crown handing a scroll to a fur-clad, drunk-looking figure with a wreath. Behind them, a bearded man in robes watches, holding a spear. The scene looks like a mocking prize ceremony, with a rolled-up paper labeled "Prizes" on the floor. The title at the bottom reads *King Death’s Distribution of Prizes*. The artist used sharp lines and shadows to give it a dark, exaggerated feel. Next, check out the technique: engraving to see how artists carve images into wood.
