Fabric on Fleek: A Friday Funny

Chalk this up to one of those things that I laughed at harder than I should have...and had to share with you all so you could laugh, too!  While visually goofy, I really like the idea that a soul reaper, Death, or whatever you want to label this creepy creature can be distracted from his job by a beautiful and expensive garment!  Happy Friday, everyone...hope your weekend is on fleek!

Death and the Dancer

This spooky aquatint engraving was done by illustrator Joshua Gleadah, around 1822. According to the Oxford Index, "Joshua Gleadah executed a few engravings for A Treatise on the Principles of Landscape Design; with General Observations and Instructions to Young Artist by John Varley (1778-1842); and Journey Through Part of the Russian Empire by R. Johnston; and Album of the Spirit."  He was active between the years of 1815 and 1836.  

Aside from Death and the Dancer, Gleadah is responsible for two similar works, Death and the Industrious Wife, and Death and the Warrior. All three images are presumably from the same time frame and same publication.  They can be found on the Wellcome Collection's online database.