House of Rats

One of Dutch artist Arent van Bolten’s many “grotesques” held by the @Rijksmuseum and produced sometime in the early 17th century. More here: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/arent-van-bolten-s-grotesques

Eating like a bird. The peacock "at home" : a sequel to The butterfly's ball. 1808.

Internet Archive

Livre d'heures (c. 1490).

> Illuminator: Maître d'Antoine Rolin.

The tomb effigy of François I de la Sarra (d. 1363), housed in the Chapel of Sainte-Antoine in La Sarraz, Switzerland, is a chilling reminder of mortality. This transi tomb depicts François’ decomposing body being consumed by frogs, snakes, and worms—symbolizing the inevitability of death and decay. These tombs, popular in the late Middle Ages, served as memento mori, urging viewers to reflect on life’s brevity and live virtuously.

Legends surround François’ effigy: one claims he perished violently while hunting and was later found covered in frogs and reptiles, inspiring the tomb’s design. Another suggests this depiction was crafted by vassals seeking symbolic revenge for his alleged tyranny. Regardless of its origins, this monument captures the medieval obsession with death and the afterlife, blending art, morality, and history into a haunting legacy.

#Medieval #Art #History

Death and burial of Cock Robin, 1840

Utagawa Hiroshige, Eight Shadow Figures, ca. 1842. ⠀⁠ ⠀⁠ One of several Hiroshige images available as prints to buy from our online shop: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/utagawa-hiroshige-last-great-master-of-ukiyo-e

Unknown, Krishna enters the mouth of Aghasura, 1700s

Hans Baldung Grien

“Death and the Maiden”

ca 1518-1520, detail.

A Miracle, of Miracles, 1614

Livre d'heures (c. 1490).

> Illuminator: Maître d'Antoine Rolin.

Rat coin purse designed by Paul Frey for the renowned Lacloche Freres jewelers and was popular in the early 1900s. It is part of the French Art Deco movement and is made of brass and a small ruby.

Omg he’s majestic

Daphne - Stained and painted glass by Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen, 1984, Stuttgart. The background of the piece is filled with handwritten text of Daphne's story from Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Badisches Landesmuseum in Market Square, Karlsruhe, Germany

Happy #WorldTurtleDay! Here’s a kind turtle helping a monkey out with a ride, from the Lights of Canopus, a 19th-century Persian version of an ancient Indian collection of animal fables. More here: https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/illustrations-from-the-lights-of-canopus-1847

Insectes - Yoeequa - c.1830-1840 - via Gallica