The Cardinal, from "The Dance of Death"
Original title: The Cardinal, from "The Dance of Death"
kurzbeschreibung
A cardinal stands with a document in his hand, flanked by two companions: that is the subject of this sheet from Hans Holbein the Younger's Dance of Death series. The woodcut was made around 1526 and appeared in print in 1538. It belongs to a sequence in which Death comes for one rank of society after another.
Description
At the centre of the image stands a cardinal in a long-sleeved, belted robe and a broad-brimmed hat, holding a document. To either side are two men in plain clothing, one of them carrying tools — evidently labourers. Vines and blossoms form a border around the group. Line alone does the work here, but the lines are dense and carefully placed, so that the folds of cloth and the ornament remain clearly legible.
Context
The series was made around 1526 but not printed until 1538, in Lyon. Holbein drew it in an era shaped by the Reformation, full of religious and social tension. By having Death overtake pope and peasant alike, the cycle calls the existing hierarchy of estates into question.
Impact
Despite the small format, the dense, exact draughtsmanship gives the sheet great precision. The vines enclose the cardinal and emphasise his calm, resolute bearing. With no colour to distract, attention goes to faces and gestures — and so to the moral point of the image.
Technique
A relief process: the design is cut into a block of wood and then printed from it. Holbein works with fine lines and hatching, showing his assurance with the material; even in a small space he achieves a high degree of detail.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)