Dodendans
c. 1680
Medium
etching
Dimensions
75; 55
About this artwork
verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
**Dodendans (Dance of Death)** *Wenceslaus Hollar,. 1680, etching, 75 × 55* Wenceslaus Hollar, masterful Bohemian etcher (1607–1677) who worked extensively in England and the Netherlands, created this intimate etching as part of his reproductions of Hans Holbein the Younger's iconic *Dance of Death* series. The title *Dodendans*—Dutch for "Dance of Deathevokes the medieval memento mori tradition, where Death gleefully leads figures from all social classes in a macabre dance, reminding viewers of life's fragility. Hollar's version, produced posthumously around 1680, captures this timeless al...
About the Artist
Wenceslaus Hollar · 1607–1677
Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) was a prolific Bohemian etcher who became one of the most accomplished printmakers of the seventeenth century. Born in Prague, he trained under Matthäus Merian in Frankfurt before entering the service of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, in 1636. Hollar spent most of his career in England, where he produced approximately 2,740 etchings documenting an extraordinary range...