Oil on Canvas - Mortality

Approximate Dimensions: 20.5" Wide, 23.375" Tall

A dark and moody 19th C. English oil on canvas painting.  With the backdrop in a cellar,  there appears a husband and wife deep in conversation.  With a soft touch on his wife's shoulder, we think the husband is reassuring the wife to "drink the poison".  Notice the goblet grasped firmly in her hands and the look of sorrow on her face.  The cellar door is thrown open to reveal an ominous watcher, perhaps a maid?  Someone in the afterlife waiting to see how the evening plays out?  Please note, there is paint loss in several areas, most noticeably on the somber wife.