Death and the Miser

Nicolaes Maes

National Gallery of Art

This drawing shows two figures displayed from the waist up. On the right is an elderly person with glasses and a long beard, wearing a loose garment. They have minimal facial features. They are seated at a table, holding an object in one hand, while the other hand is raised near their face. On the left is a skeleton leaning slightly towards the elderly person, appearing to hold a long, thin object, like an arrow or quill. The table in front of them is covered with objects, and more objects are stacked on the right, with what looks like an open chest. The background is a gradient of light brown on the left to cream on the right.