The Dance of Death: Exhibited in Elegant Engravings on Wood with a Dissertation on the Several Representations of that Subject but More Particularly on Those Ascribed to Macaber and Hans HolbeinDouce, Francis
History
The Dance of Death: Exhibited in Elegant Engravings on Wood with a Dissertation on the Several Representations of that Subject but More Particularly on Those Ascribed to Macaber and Hans Holbein
Douce, Francis
Bible. Old Testament -- Illustrations; Dance of death
I. "Todten Dantz durch alle stande und Beschlecht der Menschen, &c."
_i. e._ "Death's Dance through all ranks and conditions of men." This
title is on a frontispiece representing a gate of rustic architecture, at
the top of which are two boy angels with emblems of mortality between
them, and underneath are the three Fates. At the bottom, Adam and Eve with
the tree of knowledge, each holding the apple presented by the serpent.
Between them is a circular table, on which are eight sculls of a Pope,
Emperor, Cardinal, &c. with appropriate mottoes in Latin. On the outer
edge of the table STATVTVM EST OMNIBVS HOMINIBVS SEMEL MORI POST HOC AVTEM
IVDICIVM. In the centre the letters MVS, the terminating syllable of each
motto. Before the gate are two pedestals, inscribed MEMENTO MORI and
MEMORARE NOVISSIMA, on which stand figures of Death supporting two
pyramids or obelisks surmounted with sculls and a cross, and inscribed
ITER AD VITAM. Below, "Eberh. Kieser excudit." This frontispiece is a copy
of a large print engraved on wood long before. Without date, in quarto.
The work consists of sixty prints within borders of flowers, &c. in the
execution of which two different and anonymous artists have been employed.
At the top of each print is the name of the subject, accompanied with a
passage from scripture, and at the bottom three couplets of German verses.
Most of the subjects are copied from the completest editions of the Lyons
cuts, with occasional slight variations. They are not placed in the same
order, and all are reversed, except Nos. 57 and 60. No. 12 is not
reversed, but very much altered, a sort of duplicate of the Miser. No. 50,
the Jew, and No. 51, the Jewess, are entirely new. The latter is sitting
at a table, on which is a heap of money, and Death appears to be giving
effective directions to a demon to strangle her. No. 52 is also new. A
castle within a hedge. Death enters one of the windows by a ladder, whilst
a woman looks out of another.[121] The subject is from Jeremiah, ch. ix.
v. 21. "Death is come up into our windows, &c." In the subject of the
Pope, the two Devils are omitted. Two military groups of boys, newly
designed, are added. The following are copies from Aldegrever, Nos. 1, 2,
3, 4, 6, 11, and 12. At the beginning and end of the book there are moral
poems in the German language.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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