Dance of Death: The Nun

1526

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Dance of Death: The Nun 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 black-and-white print shows three figures in a dim room. A woman kneels, her hands clasped. A skeleton in a monk’s robe stands beside her, holding a staff. Another skeleton, dressed like a rich man, leans on a chair, playing a flute. The walls are lined with shelves and strange symbols. The title calls this the "Dance of Death," a common theme where skeletons remind people that death comes for everyone. The monk’s robe hints this might be about the Church’s power—or its limits. Look up Renaissance next to see how artists used death as a reminder of life’s fleeting time.