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Georg Pencz

The Triumph of Death, plate five from The Triumphs of Petrarch

c. 1539
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
15 × 21.9 cm (5.9 × 8.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

The back of this impression of Georg Pencz’s Triumph of Death bears the signature, dated 1676, of Pierre Mariette II, an illustrious connoisseur and printseller who seems to have found the series to be a good investment. Mariette purchased at least one copy of the set before, as the British Museum now possesses both the Triumph of Love and The Triumph of Death signed by Mariette and dated 1666. This image itself is one of the most dramatic in the series, with a scythe-wielding skeleton embodying Death and a terrifying Hellmouth reminiscent of the work of Hieronymus Bosch opening in the distance.

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More by Georg Pencz

The Seige of CarthageThe Seige of CarthageThe Triumph of Death on Time, from The Triumph of PetrarchThe Triumph of Death on Time, from The Triumph of PetrarchThe Life of Jesus Christ: The Descent of the Holy GhostThe Life of Jesus Christ: The Descent of the Holy GhostThe Triumph of Death on Time, from The Triumph of PetrarchThe Triumph of Death on Time, from The Triumph of PetrarchTarquinius Rapes Lucretia, from Scenes from Roman HistoryTarquinius Rapes Lucretia, from Scenes from Roman HistorySuicide of Lucretia, from "Scenes from Roman History"Suicide of Lucretia, from "Scenes from Roman History"Christ Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from The Story of ChristChrist Sleeping During the Storm on Lake Tiberias, from The Portrait of John Frederick I, "The Magnanimous," Elector of SaxonyPortrait of John Frederick I, "The Magnanimous," Elector of

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