1526
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Skeletons Making Music is a 1526 ink by Hans Lützelburger, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a chaotic scene of dancing skeletons playing musical instruments. The figures move in wild, tangled lines, some holding drums, others flutes or strange curved horns. The background has arches and a rocky ground, but everything feels off-kilter, like the whole scene is spinning. The skeletons’ eerie smiles and loose limbs make it clear this isn’t just a normal dance. Their odd poses and the way they crowd together suggest something deeper—a warning or a joke about life and death. Next, look up woodcut to see how this print was made.
Hans Lützelburger (died June 1526), also known as Hans Franck, was a German blockcutter ("formschneider") for woodcuts, regarded as one of the finest of his day.
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