Woe Unto You – Skeleton Jester Cross Stitch Pattern (PDF)

289 wide x 548 high
63,336 total stitches
40,348 black & 22,988 white

woe unto you cross stitch pattern

Image Source & Credits:

Artist: Bennett, Charles - Henry, Rogers, - William Harry

Dates: 1828-1867; 1825-1873 Book: Quarles' emblems Author: Francis Quarles Publisher: London: James Nisbet and Co., 1861

Book the First. Emblem VIII. A skeleton in a jester's outfit stands by a freshly dug grave and lifts a laughing mask from his face, unveiling his grimacing skull. A scroll in the decoration bears the motto Et risu necat (and laughter kills).

For this series of illustrations, the main figurative artwork was carried out by Charles Henry Bennett and the ornamental part by William Harry Rogers.
woe unto you source image public domain

"Woe unto you…" but make it theatrical. The jester's bauble is now in hand—and so is your needle.
Inspired by the haunting woodcut from Quarles' Emblems (1861), this black-and-white cross stitch pattern features a skeleton jester holding his bauble aloft, a subtle shift from the original where it lay discarded. The background is stripped away, leaving only the figure—ready for you to choose your own color palette for his tattered finery