The Dance of Death: Adam Tilling the Earth

1526

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

The Dance of Death: Adam Tilling the Earth 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 a skeleton dancing with a living man who’s bent over, working the soil. The skeleton holds a scythe, while the man struggles with a plow. Trees and bushes fill the background, but the focus is on their twisted, tangled bodies. Notice how the skeleton’s bony hand reaches out to the man’s shoulder—like it’s pulling him into the dance. This print is part of a series called *The Dance of Death*, where skeletons remind people that death comes for everyone, no matter what they’re doing. Look up Renaissance next to see how artists used ideas like this to explore life and death.