Anna Maria Landsberger op haar doodsbed 1664

This monochrome engraving depicts Anna Maria Landsberger on her deathbed. The composition is dominated by horizontal lines of the coffin, softened by the billowing clouds framing the angel. The stark contrast between light and shadow creates a dramatic effect, drawing our eye to the central figure. The artist, Ernst Caspar Dürr, uses the formal elements to engage with a theological concept. The angel's presence, juxtaposed with the rigid lines of the coffin, suggests a transition from earthly constraints to divine grace. Semiotically, the clouds and angel serve as signs of the divine, while the coffin and inscription mark mortality. The linear perspective flattens the scene, emphasizing the symbolic over the spatial. Dürr uses the visual language of his time to explore themes of death, faith, and transcendence. The engraving invites us to reflect on the transient nature of life and the promise of spiritual salvation.