Man met een lantaarn en hond ontdekt een lijk in een landschap 1710 - 1771

Laurent Cars created this etching, "Man with a Lantern and Dog Discovers a Corpse in a Landscape," sometime in the first half of the 18th century. During this period, the social hierarchy rigidly defined life for many, yet death was the great leveler, an equalizer that rendered social status meaningless. In Cars's stark composition, we see a man, accompanied by his dog, stumbling upon a lifeless body in the dead of night. The scene is illuminated by the dim light of his lantern, casting long shadows that evoke the unsettling reality of mortality. The dog, often seen as a symbol of loyalty, seems wary, perhaps sensing the gravity of the situation. The title, "Sepelire Mortuos" or "bury the dead" suggests an acknowledgement of one's duty to the deceased, irrespective of their identity in life. In this image, Cars reminds us that beneath titles and finery, all are equal in death, and all deserve dignity.