The Spanish Gentleman

Here is the metal sign I photographed in Spain. It says "Don't Touch" above and "Danger of Death" below. The image is quite clear, a falling figure paired with a symbol for electric shock, or perhaps a lightning bolt. Most people would glance at it quickly, get the idea and move on. But looking closer I appreciated the patina, and the amount of detail. The man has nicely detailed hands and facial features, dress shoes (notice the heels) and a suit. Is this the class of person likely to be fooling around with a fuse box or electrical transformer? (And shouldn't his hair be a little messed up?) And the lightning bolt isn't clearly directional; is it entering or leaving this poor man's chest?

Of course Spaniards have always dandies. Take a look at this print of a Spanish Gentleman from the 16th century:

This engraving has even more detail, and the gentleman is obviously proud of his costume. I borrowed the man and the lightning bolt to create other signs, perhaps I can use his great grandfather's image one of these days.