The Merchant, from the Dance of Death
Original title: The Merchant, from the Dance of Death
kurzbeschreibung
Wenceslaus Hollar's 1651 etching "Der Kaufmann" (The Merchant) belongs to the circle of the Dance of Death. A skeleton threatens a man dressed in sailor's clothing who lies on crates. The print comes from a series and survives here in the second of four states.
Description
In the foreground a skeleton seizes the corner of a cloth and turns against a man sprawled on stacked crates. The figure in the sailor's coat looks desperate. Several sailing ships on the sea can be made out behind them, suggesting a harbor or a ship as the setting. The view stays black-and-white and monochrome, the light spread evenly throughout.
Context
The Dance of Death is a late medieval motif that brings the transience of life before the viewer's eyes. Hollar made this etching in 1651 after an older model. A later printing in the late 18th century shows that the theme was still being taken up.
Impact
The scene feels threatening and melancholy at once. From the confrontation of the living man and the skeleton comes an immediacy that reminds the viewer of his own mortality.
Technique
In this etching the drawing was bitten into a metal plate. The impression was pulled in the second of four states, which points to reworking of the plate. Fine lines and clear contours mark Hollar's style.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)