Dance of Death, Woman of Fashion - Hand-Coloured Cruikshank Etching - 1808

Cut fragment of an English Dance of Death satire: a skeleton seizes the arm of a woman of fashion, in a high-waisted gown, plumed turban and fan, who protests in the etched caption: "Don't be so boisterous you filthy Wretch, I am a Woman of Fashion". Original hand-coloured etching, laid down on brown paper.

From its format, style and the captions etched above the figures, it comes from the satire "The Dance of Death Modernised", of which other fragments are known. The complete print had twenty-four figures designed by George Moutard Woodward and etched by Isaac Cruikshank; it was published by William Holland in London in October 1808.

Medium: Hand-coloured etching, laid down on brown paper.
Artist / after: George Moutard Woodward (c. 1760-1809), attributed.
Engraver: Isaac Cruikshank (1764-1811), attributed.
Date: 1808.
Source: Fragment of "The Dance of Death Modernised", London, William Holland, 1808 (attributed).
Dimensions: Image 6.0 x 4.5 in (15.3 x 11.4 cm); backing paper 8.7 x 5.1 in (22.2 x 13 cm).
Condition: Fair. Cut fragment with irregular edges and a loss at the lower left corner; several cracks and tears cross the image. The brown backing paper is torn at the edges and stained. The period colouring remains bright.