Triumph of Death

Bruegel: Triumph of Death (1562) - Prado, Madrid

The painting shows a panorama of an army of skeletons wreaking havoc across a blackened, desolate landscape.The painting shows aspects of everyday life in the mid-sixteenth century. Clothes are clearly depicted, as are pastimes such as playing cards and backgammon. It shows objects such as musical instruments, an early mechanical clock, scenes including a funeral service, and various methods of execution, including the breaking wheel, the gallows, and the headsman.