George Frederic Watts said ‘I paint ideas, not things’. This enormous painting is an allegory (symbolic subject) in which the figures all represent ideas.

The picture’s main message is that all humans – from rich to poor – are revealed to be truly equal at the moment of their death. The winged angel seated high on a throne, holding a newborn baby, symbolises Death. The book on the floor is ‘The Book of Life’. The group of figures below represent people who are at the end of their life and presenting themselves to Death. A duke and a soldier give up their symbols of high status – a coronet (a small crown) and sword. Also in the group is a lion, a king of Beasts, an innocent child, a beautiful woman, and figures representing the sick and the poor. Above Death, the star of Hope shines faintly, showing how death can be a relief from pain and struggle.

The painting is 14ft tall. To make it easy to work on such a big picture, George installed a pulley system in his studio. This meant he could move it up and down through a slot in the floor and reach the top without needing to stand on a ladder.