The Death of the Miser

The Death of the Miser by William Henry Brooke; Hieronymus Bosch is a detailed drawing executed in pen and brown ink. Though the primary artist, Brooke, was active into the 19th century, this drawing is generally categorized within the British artistic period of 1751 to 1775, reflecting the composition's deep historical roots. The work serves as a precise reproductive piece, meticulously translating the complex allegorical chaos of Bosch's original moralistic painting into a crisp, monochromatic format.

Brooke, a renowned British illustrator, approached the task of copying the earlier master with exceptional technical skill. The technique, utilizing pen and brown ink, emphasizes deep contrasts and sharp linear clarity, attributes essential for the production of commercially viable prints and engravings that would disseminate the image to a wider audience. The drawing captures the specific iconography of the deathbed scene: the dying miser is shown confronting his past wealth and earthly greed, while a host of grotesque demons attempt to distract him from the spiritual guidance offered by an attentive angel poised above his bed.

This practice of reproductive drawing after the Old Masters was a standard methodology among artists of the late 18th and early 19th century. Brooke's commitment to rendering the intense narrative details ensured that the profound moral satire established by Bosch remained relevant and visually accessible to a new generation of British patrons and students. The enduring power of the original composition ensured its widespread appeal, confirming the continued influence of Netherlandish art in the succeeding centuries.

Today, the study of such works provides insight into the historical documentation and dissemination of art; for instance, the legacy of this process allows high-quality images and prints of these older narratives, often adapted through works like this drawing, to be widely shared via the public domain. This compelling example of reproductive draughtsmanship currently resides in the extensive collection of the National Gallery of Art.