The Plague of London: The Plague-Stricken House
Frederic James Shields 1833 - 1911
Summary
Monochrome domestic interior scene, showing the figure of a grief-stricken woman with long hair kneeling at the bedside of a plague victim. The sick figure is a man, who lies diagonally across the bed with his arms extended to the sides, his fists clenched and teeth bared; the woman, in profile to the left, kneels on the floor beside his head, with an arm laid across his chest and gazing at his face. On the floor by the woman's side is an hourglass. In the background are two men walking down a staircase into the room, carrying a corpse between them. The interior furnishing of the room suggests a wealthy residence: the bed is a four-poster with ornately carved twisted columns, the walls of the room are wood-clad, and a portrait hangs on the far wall.
Object Name
The Plague of London: The Plague-Stricken House
Creators Name
Date Created
1863
Dimensions
support: 1210.2cm x 7.5cm
accession number
1912.27
Collection Group
fine art
on paper, unique
British
Manchester artists
illustration
Place of creation
Europe
Support
paper
Medium
pencil
ink (black)
Legal
© Manchester Art Gallery