Dance of Death: The Count

1526

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Dance of Death: The Count 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

This small woodcut shows a nobleman in fine clothes facing a grinning skeleton. The skeleton holds an hourglass, a quiet hint about time and death. The Count isn’t fighting Death—he’s just watching. Dance of Death started in 1300s plays after plagues. Holbein’s version makes the idea creepy and real. The count’s calm face makes it feel closer to home. Look up another Holbein to see how he draws real people.

The story of this work

Overview

Dance of Death is the most celebrated series of woodcuts designed by Holbein. The 41 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 1300s. Following widespread epidemics such as the black plague, these plays took place in a cemetery or churchyard. Dressed in pale costumes painted to resemble skeletons, actors personified Death and summoned a group of people from all social classes in a dancelike procession. In a period when the life span was short,…

Read the full account in the museum source.