Laurence Sterne, alias Tristram Shandy: "And When Death Himself Knocked at My Door" 1769

This etching was made by Thomas Patch, an English artist working in Italy, probably sometime in the 1760s or 70s. It depicts a scene from Laurence Sterne's novel *Tristram Shandy*. The image suggests the cultural world of the 18th century, with the trappings of a scholar's study, including a map and classical sculpture. Our character clutches a manuscript to his chest, but instead of ink, it's labelled 'Assignations', suggesting worldly pursuits have distracted him from his work. Death stands in the doorway, a reminder of mortality. Patch satirizes not only the protagonist but also the artistic and intellectual pretensions of his time. He reminds us that artistic and intellectual pursuits often exist alongside, and sometimes in conflict with, the mundane realities of life. To understand this image more fully, we might consult literary histories, biographies of Sterne and Patch, and studies of 18th-century print culture. Art's meaning is always shaped by its historical and social context.