Reproductie van een getekend beeldverhaal over een man die feest met de dood, door Gustaaf Coppieters before 1883

This is Léon Evely’s reproduction of a comic strip by Gustaaf Coppieters, depicting a man feasting with Death. The artwork is part of a larger tradition, popular from the Medieval period onwards, of the ‘Dance of Death’ or danse macabre, often illustrating the universality of death. Evely, who was a Belgian artist, lived through a time of significant social and political change, witnessing the rise of industrialization and experiencing the Franco-Prussian War. Considering this period of upheaval, this work functions as a kind of memento mori, asking us to reflect on mortality and the fleeting nature of human existence. In an era marked by class divisions, the ‘Dance of Death’ served as a stark reminder that death transcends social hierarchies. Ultimately, Evely’s reproduction of Coppieters’ comic strip encourages us to confront our own mortality and reflect on the choices we make in life.