This picture is inspired by a Persian legend, which can be deeply thought-provoking.


I’m partially quoting the words of W. Somerset Maugham, who mentioned this legend.

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said,

“Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a veiled woman in the crowd and when I turned, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She was wearing in black and looked at me making a threatening gesture. Now, I beg you, lend me your fastest horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra, that is very far from Bagdad, and there Death will not find me.”

The merchant, who cared for his servant, lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop, he went.
Later that day, the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw the mysterious woman in black standing in the crowd and he went to her and said,

“I know you are Death. Why did you make a threating gesture to my good servant when you saw him this morning?”

“That was not a threatening gesture,” Death said, “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”