The plate was not part of any early collection or sale and is probably not in existence.

This peculiar scene probably tells the story of the Danse Macabre, a 16th century custom to have people of all ranks and all ages to be met by Death and being forced to follow him. Rembrandt deviates from the traditional idea that Death is not visible for the bystanders. It seems as if the couple is actually welcoming him. There has been much debate on the question why Rembrandt made this picture, but so far no credible theory has been formulated.

Hinterding thinks that Die Edelfrau may have served as an example. Rembrandt had works by Holbein in his inventory in 1656.
Rembrandt may also be inspired by a picture of Young lovers meeting Death made in 1498 by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).

Münz refers to a reminiscence of the Dance of the Death series by Holbein (1497-1543), in the way Death is represented, but agrees with de Bruijn that no print of that series has served as a direct example to Rembrandt.
The man to the left shows similarity to a head in a sheet of studies (Benesch 340, Barber Institute of fine Arts, Birmingham).

There is a copy in the same direction in the catalogue of Blanc by Leopold Flameng, dated 1639 (99 x 77 mm, WB).

The etching is considered as special by Middleton.
The plate is not by Rembrandt according to Coppier and Singer.

All authors list one state only. Early impressions are not very strong, later ones are even weaker and greyish.
It has been suggested that the technique used here is a drypoint version over a lightly etched first set-up.

Strasbourg lily (2 ed. c. 1652).

H 165, BB 39-C, G 109, M 265, Mz 258, RA 332, Cl 111, W 113, Bl 79, Du 110, CD 124
Rembrandt’s Women 2001, p. 164; Hinterding 2008, p. 230ff; Verdi 2014, p. 180;