abystle:The Triumph of Death. Palermo, Palazzo Abatellis. Early fifteenth century.“Som
abystle: The Triumph of Death. Palermo, Palazzo Abatellis. Early fifteenth century. “Some important observations from details of the painting deserve mention in increasing relevance. First, as mentioned, in the living group of ‘survivors’ behind Death the artist has painted himself looking out directly at the viewer while holding a brush; left of him is his likely assistant or apprentice also looking out. Second, in the plague group on the bottom right, one elegantly dressed woman grimaces in a rictus of shock and fear at the arrow just having struck her while her companion on the right (further from Death’s advance) may be attempting to comfort her. Third, nearly all of Death’s arrows are protruding from the necks of the victims, which greatly favors the responsive lymphatic nature of bubonic plague where the body attempts – usually in futility – to fight off the assault on the immune system. Fourth, a close look at Death’s bow shows it to be a compound bow from the East, likewise his arrow sheath, suggesting a cognition that this form of death came from the Mongol Empire, commensurate with the plague of 1347-51 arriving with the Golden Horde from Central Asia where the Mongol Empire was then on the wane.” (source) -- source link
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