Image of the Week: Death in the Dissecting Room (1815)

Death in the dissecting room.

Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) created this drawing and watercolor picture, “Death in the Dissecting Room,” as well as similar others depicting Death. His illustrations of death accompanied William Comb’s (1742-1823) book of poetry, The English Dance of Death, which was eventually published (with Rowlandson’s pictures) in 1903. This picture was created in 1815 and shows Death violently interrupting the dissection of a cadaver. It seems to depict Death entering the room and seeking revenge on grave robbers who have unfairly and wrongly disturbed the graves of certain individuals for profit and research. Elise Beck