I got right distracted today while working on the Healing Arts posts, distracted right into the amazing world of The Dance Of Death. There’s a large body of work by different artists devoted to this particular aspect of death, and they widely range in style, to say the very least. All of the art work is very beautiful, and is often poignant, witty, and sly. The main message being that death is no respecter of persons.
So this will be a sort of companion series to the Healing Arts. I’m going to start with Basel’s Dance of Death by Hieronymus Hess (1799-1850). These are based on copies of a mural which was done around around 1435-1441. The wall with the original mural was lost long ago, in 1804. Some fragments survive and are housed in a museum. We open with The Ossuary and Death’s first conquest, The Pope. Death looks positively gleeful walking off with the pope. I’m quite enchanted with Hess’s portrayal of Death as a mostly fleshed character who must maintain modesty when it comes to the private bits. Death also changes gender in Hess’s portrayals, and there are obvious character shifts in Death, dependent on just who is being claimed. In The Pope, it almost looks as if Death were wearing a skull mask.
The Ossuary. Click for full size.
Death and the Pope. Click for full size.
And, the pope looks seriously blissed out on something.
These are fascinating.
It seems like the pope and the death have had, to quote a student/drinking song, “a vat of Hungarian wine.” (Translated to English the song starts: “Oh dear friends, if we had a vat of Hungarian wine, oh if only two would carry it and drink, we’d have as fat days as the pope!”)
Ice Swimmer:
I’m so glad you think so, I feel the same way. Thank you!
Now that’s funny, because it fits the image perfectly! The pope looks incredibly stoned or drunk, and Death so gleeful as they stroll hand in hand. It does look like they had one hell of a party, especially with that, um, skull codpiece. And the perky, cheerful wreath on Death’s head, as if in counterpoint to the pope hat.
Thanks, Caine. I agree with Ice Swimmer, these are fascinating. I wonder what the church thought about this imagery? The pope looks powerless and a bit silly and together the duo reminds me of a newly married couple coming down the aisle. The pope’s hat even looks like a wedding cake.
Perhaps the best accompanying music for these excellent artworks here? :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyknBTm_YyM
Danse Macabre. (Also the Jonathan Creek detective show theme.)
I like it when Death isn’t a sulking ghost-figure in the background, but someone fully capable of enjoying a good party in good (or questionable, re: the Pope) company. Makes for a more approachable concept if you realize it’s a job and not something done out of evilness or spite. The job is kind of sucky, but hey, we can’t all be royalty, I guess?
Translation incoming (German spelling modernized)
First image, top:
Oh Mensch betracht,
hier die Figur,
und nicht veracht
all Kreatur
Oh human
watch
this figure here
and don’t despise
all creatures
bottom:
Die nimmt der Tod
gleich wie die Blum’
früh und spät
im Feld vergeht
Death takes them
just like the flower
which withers in the field
early and late.
Bottom picture, top: Der Tod zum Papst Death to the Pope
Komm, heiliger Mann, werter Mann
Einen Vortanz müsst ihr mit mir haben
Der Ablass euch nicht hilft davon
Das zweifach Kreuz, die dreifach Kron’
Come, holy man, dear man,
you have to dance with me.
The indulgence doesn’t save you from this
(nor) the double cross and triple crown.
bottom: Antwort de Papstes: The pope’s reply:
Heilig ward ich auf Erden genannt,
ohne Gott den Höchsten führte ich meinen Stand.
Der Ablass tat mir gar wohl lohnen,
nun will der Tod mich nicht verschonen.
I was called holy on earth,
without God the Highest did I carry out my office
The indulgence was really beneficial to me,
but now death won’t spare me.
Some nice little religious criticism in there!
Lovely!
Thank you, Giliell!
Thank you for those translations. so appropriate.
Voyager:
He does look like the proverbial blushing bride! Albeit with a red nose. :D
rq:
Me too. I can easily see Pratchett’s Death arising from this series, or one like it. In all of them, Death is very aware of who he’s escorting off the premises, and adapts themselves to suit.
Giliell, thank you! I just couldn’t bring myself to use google translate, and I have a hard time parsing all the letters in old Gothic script.
I don’t think that Google translate would be much help. I’ll go for the others tomorrow.
I’m sure it wouldn’t be, it’s not good for much more than a laugh.