Dance of Death: The Child

1526

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Dance of Death: The Child is a 1526 by Hans Holbein the Younger, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Hans Holbein the Younger
When & what style?: 1526 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

The painting shows a child surrounded by death symbols. It's part of a series called Dance of Death. This series was originally a drama that took place in cemeteries, with actors dressed as skeletons, and was later turned into woodcuts. The drama was a response to the black plague and other epidemics. These performances were a way to cope with death and the afterlife. You can learn more about this style by looking at the work of artist: Hans Holbein the Younger.

The story of this work

Overview

Dance of Death is the most celebrated series of woodcuts designed by Holbein. The forty-one blocks were cut by Hans Lützelburger in the years immediately before his death in 1526, though the set was not published until 1538. Dance of Death originated as a drama in the middle of the 14th century. Following widespread epidemics such as the black plague, these plays took place in a cemetery or churchyard. Actors, dressed in pale costumes painted to resemble skeletons, personified Death and summoned a group of people from all social classes in a dancelike procession. In a period when the life…

Read the full account in the museum source.