constantine ferreo ©1969-2022
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constantine ferreo ©1969-2022 |
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| IMAGINES MORTIS or DANCE OF DEATH ©1979-81 |
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| selection of woodcuts 30x40cm black ink on oriental paper |
WOE! WOE! INHABITANTS OF EARTH, WHERE BLIGHTING CARES SO KEENLY STRIKE, DESPITE OF RANK, OR WEALTH, OR WORTH, DEATH, DEATH WILL VISIT ALL ALIKE. | PRIDE, DREAMS AND EARTHLY IMMORTALITY, DEATH IS CERTAIN SUDDEN TO DESTROY, AND EVEN YOU, HIGH PRIEST SHALL SURELY DIE AND A SUCCESSOR YOUR PROUD THRONE WILL SOON ENJOY. | ORDER YOUR HOUSE WHILE YOU HAVE BREATH, BESTOW YOUR GOODS FOR YOU MUST DIE, AND SOON, WITHIN THE REALMS OF DEATH THE CHARIOTS OF YOUR STATE SHALL LIE. |
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| COME, POTENT PRINCES, WITH ME ALONE, LEAVE TRANSIENT POMPS OF WORDLY STATE, I AM THE ONE WHO CAN FLING DOWN THE PRIDE AND HONOURS OF THE GREAT. | WHO IS THE MAN, HOWEVER STRONG OR GREAT, WHO CAN ESCAPE THE FINAL DESTINY, WHO CAN AVOID THE DARK AND AWFUL GATE, OR CHEAT GRIM DEATH OF CERTAIN VICTORY. | EVEN IN A MOMENT THEY SHALL DIE, AT MIDNIGHT MEN SHALL QUAKE WITH FEAR, THE MIGHTY SHALL NOT BE PASSED BY, NOR KNOW WHO THRUSTS THE FATAL SPEAR. | WOE UNTO YOU WHO DO PROFANELY DARE EVIL FOR GOOD TO SHOW BY PRAISE OR BLAME, AND, ALSO, GOOD THINGS EVIL ONES DECLARE AND SWEET FOR BITTER FALSELY DO PROCLAIM. |
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| FROM OUT YOUR SEAT YOU SHALL BE TAKEN, SO OFTEN BRIBED TO INIQUITY, YOUR ILL GOT GAINS MUST BE FORSAKEN, NO BRIBE CAN BUY YOUR LIFE OF ME. | IN CHOIR EACH DAY YOU MUTTER PRAYERS, TODAY THAT MUTTERING MAY NOT BE, YOU MUST EVEN DIE, ALL UNAWARE, BEHOLD! IT IS TIME! SO COME WITH ME. | THE DEAD, HE URGED, I AM EVER PRAISING MORE THAN THE LIVING WHO IN SIN ARE FOUND, AND YET, IN DEATH'S OVER RUDE APPRAISING, I AM RANKED WITH WORLDLY SINNERS WHO ABOUND. | WOE UNTO YOU, UNJUST, WHO JUSTIFY THE WICKED MAN AND SHAMEFUL PROFIT MAKE, PRETENDING HIS BAD DEEDS TO SANCTIFY WHILE FROM THE JUST YOU DO ALL JUSTICE TAKE |
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| THE PASTOR, FROM HIS SHEEP I WILL TAKE, MITRE AND CROSIER CAST TO GROUND, AND WHEN THE SHEPHERD I OVER TAKE, THE SCATTERED FLOCK SHALL SCARSE BE FOUND | AILMENTS, YOU UNDERSTAND WELL, AND HEALER OF THE SICK, CAN BE, BUT RASH, VAIN MAN, YOU CAN NOT TELL IN WHAT FORM DEATH SHALL COME TO YOU. | THIS VERY NIGHT YOU SHALL KNOW DEATH, TOMORROW BE ENCOFFINED FAST, THEN, TELL ME, FOOL, WHILE YOU HAVE BREATH, WHO WILL HAVE THE GOLD YOU HAVE AMASSED. | THE CAUTIOUS MAN, WITH MALICE EVER KEEN, THE SIMPLER IN HIS GRASP WILL TIGHTLY BIND, BY LEGAL CUNNING, AND HAS EVER BEEN THE HARD OPPRESSOR OF HIS POORER KIND. |
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| HE DIES, AND HE HAS NEVER LEARNED THE DISCIPLINE THAT POINTS THE WAY TO THE TRUE LIFE, WHILE HE HAS TURNED TO LUSTS THAT LEAD THE SOUL ASTRAY | THEIR DAYS ON WORLDLINESS DEPENDS, AND PLEASURE SOUGHT VOLUPTUOUSLY, SUDDENLY, THEY, TO HELL DESCEND, WHERE JOY IS TURNED TO MISERY. | THE LOVE, BY WHICH THEY ARE UNITED, BY FAITH SHOULD TEACH THEM, AY! TOO LATE, THAT SOON SUCH UNIONS MAY BE BLIGHTED, AND DEATH STEPS IN TO SEPARATE. | THE MERCHANT'S WEALTH IS A WORTHLESS THING, OF OTHERS WON BY LIES, THE SPOILS, BUT DEATH WILL SURE REPENDANCE BRING, SNARING THE SNARER IN HIS TOILS. |
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| WITH SWEATING BROW AND HORNY HAND, YOU WORKED HERE, NOW YOU MAY BRAKE THIS FAST, ENOUGH YOU TILLED AND DELVED THE LAND, DEATH COMES TO SPEED YOUR PLOW, AT LAST! | MAN BORN OF A WOMAN FEW DAYS HAS, MADE DIFFICULT WITH WOES, HE PASSES, EVEN AS FLOWERS PASS, HE COMES AND LIKE A SHADOW GOES. | BEFORE THE MIGHTY JUDGE'S CHAIR COMES RECKONING FOR EACH MAN ALIVE, FEAR, THEN, THE JUDGEMENT IS RENDERED THERE, YOU KNOW NOT WHEN IT WILL ARRIVE! | back to top  |