Sarony, Major, and Knapp
The Court of Death

Public Domain

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Artist Sarony, Major, and Knapp, New York (American, active 1857–1867)American, active 1857–1867

Artistafter Rembrandt Peale, Philadelphia (American, 1778–1860)American, 1778–1860

CultureAmerican

Titles

The Court of Death

Date1859

PlaceNew York, United States

MediumChromolithograph on wove paper

DimensionsImage: 15 1/4 × 26 5/8 in. (38.7 × 67.6 cm)
Sheet: 18 7/8 × 28 in. (48 × 71.1 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by Fred M. Nevill

Object numberB.90.1

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionThe monumental painting on which this lithograph is based measures more than 11 feet in height and 23 feet in width. Drawing inspiration from a poem, this ambitious composition depicts a central figure of Death surrounded by personifications of its many causes. To the right of center, Old Age, supported by Faith, approaches Death with confidence. Completed in 1820, the painting was exhibited for a fee in numerous cities.
Provenance[The Philadelphia Print Shop, Philadelphia]; purchased by MFAH, 1990.
Exhibition HistoryPetit Museum, Theta Charity Antiques Show, September 18–23, 1996, Houston (LN:96.36)

Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed below image: THE COURT OF DEATH. / FROM THE ORIGINAL PAINTING, BY REMBRANDT PEALE (with an additional 40 lines of text explicating the inspiration and iconography of the image)

[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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