{"product_id":"the-dagger-dropped-1923-harry-clarke-masque-of-red-death-art-print","title":"The Dagger Dropped (1923) – Harry Clarke | Masque of Red Death","description":"\u003cp\u003eHarry Clarke drew this in 1923, the year his illustrated Poe became famous across Europe. He was 34. He had been diagnosed with tuberculosis two years earlier and knew what was coming. He chose, for his most celebrated commission, a story about a prince who locked himself inside a walled abbey to escape a plague — and died anyway, because Death had been his guest all along.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe moment Clarke chose to illustrate is the climax. The dagger has just dropped from Prince Prospero's hand. The tall figure in grave-cerements stands motionless by the ebony clock. The guests are about to tear off its mask and find nothing inside. Clarke fills every inch of the frame with ornamental linework so dense it seems to breathe — and at the centre of it, the stillness of a man who thought he was safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the most theatrical image in the entire Poe commission. And it was drawn by someone who understood the subject from the inside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout Harry Clarke (1889–1931)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDublin-born and trained in the Arts and Crafts tradition, Clarke brought the intensity of stained-glass design into illustration — intricate patterning, dramatic chiaroscuro, and a darkness drawn from medieval craft and Symbolist literature. The 1923 Poe commission made his international reputation. He died of tuberculosis at 41.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePrince Prospero thought walls and wealth could keep Death outside. He was wrong. Clarke drew the moment he found out.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Dagger Dropped\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Poe's \u003cem\u003eMasque of the Red Death\u003c\/em\u003e — the climax of the story, the moment the prince falls and the guests tear off the intruder's mask to find nothing inside. Clarke drew this in 1923 while dying of tuberculosis. The story had particular weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDense ornamental linework, the ebony clock, the figure in grave-cerements. The most theatrical image in Clarke's entire Poe commission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout Harry Clarke (1889–1931)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDublin-born, trained in the Arts and Crafts tradition, dead at 41. Ireland's finest stained-glass artist and one of its most original illustrators. The 1923 Poe commission made his name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrint Options\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArchival Print — Unframed:\u003c\/strong\u003e 250 gsm archival stock, matte, off-white, uncoated. Archival , fade-resistant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArchival Print — Framed:\u003c\/strong\u003e Responsibly sourced oak, ash, or black hardwood frame. Shatterproof plexiglass glazing. Ready to hang.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShipping\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSizes \u0026amp; Format\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e30 × 40 cm \/ 12 × 16″\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e60 × 80 cm \/ 24 × 32″\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable \u003cstrong\u003eframed\u003c\/strong\u003e (black, white, wood) or \u003cstrong\u003eunframed\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e Arrives damaged? We replace it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrint \u0026amp; Frame Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchival matte paper, 250gsm (110lb), acid-free and FSC-certified — off-white, uncoated. Framed prints: solid oak or ash wood frame, 20mm thick, with shatterproof protective glazing. Ready to hang, hanging kit included. Unframed prints up to A4 ship flat; larger sizes ship rolled in a protective tube.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFree Worldwide Shipping\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFramed prints are packed with protective corners and wrap, boxed with reinforced edges, and braced with internal supports for extra rigidity (max 3 frames per package). Every order ships free, made to order and delivered from the hub closest to you: Ireland 3–7 business days · UK 4–8 · USA 5–10 · Canada 6–12 · Australia 7–14.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Buy Irish Art","offers":[{"title":"60x80 cm \/ 24x32″ \/ No Frame","offer_id":57228680724862,"sku":"9f7b3f80-8ff0-4614-8ffe-046a828f2bae","price":112.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40 cm \/ 12x16″ \/ Black","offer_id":56272769745278,"sku":"fad30310-499a-418f-9117-401332c7bee3","price":155.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40 cm \/ 12x16″ \/ White","offer_id":56272769679742,"sku":"33d2b7a6-8d79-4f49-8a36-397f35bb425e","price":155.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"30x40 cm \/ 12x16″ \/ Wood","offer_id":56272769712510,"sku":"95499dad-bfef-41f5-a9af-30d36ea1c760","price":155.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"60x80 cm \/ 24x32″ \/ Black","offer_id":57228680823166,"sku":"1a1d2c16-35fc-4392-85d4-b539054fd70d","price":360.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"60x80 cm \/ 24x32″ \/ White","offer_id":57228680757630,"sku":"3d8290de-5073-4b97-8a3e-b25802a743bc","price":360.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"60x80 cm \/ 24x32″ \/ Wood","offer_id":57228680790398,"sku":"697de558-7b12-4d32-bde2-dea6ec60080b","price":360.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0538\/8091\/4099\/files\/harry-clarke-dagger-dropped-print-cloaked-figure-clock-detail.jpg?v=1775737320","url":"https:\/\/www.buyirishart.com\/products\/the-dagger-dropped-1923-harry-clarke-masque-of-red-death-art-print","provider":"Buy Irish Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}