Chapter 23 "Dead Dance"

"Dead Dance" Anyone who pays attention to Western woodcuts probably knows Hans Holbein's masterpiece Death Danse macabre (Danse macabre), which is a continuous woodcut with the theme of "death", There are more than forty pieces in total, not only the original woodcut comic strips, but also the earliest long-form satire painting.Holbin is a German, born in 1479, his father was also a painter, so this The famous son of "Dead Dancing" is often called "Little Holbein".In addition to woodcuts, he Still a portrait painter, he painted many famous portraits for the emperors of various countries in Europe at that time, but his "Death

"The Dance of the Dance" is more popular, making him and the woodcut master Albert Dürer (Albert Dürer) Durer, became a pair of pioneers in the development of woodcut in the Middle Ages. Paintings with the theme of "death" were the trend that was popular in Europe in the fifteenth century at that time.not only Due to religious concepts, the implication of persuading good and punishing evil: and the natural and man-made disasters (plague) that were rampant in Europe at that time and religious wars) also endow people with an unavoidable affinity for "death".in Holbein

In his works, "death" is not a ruthless, but a clown who mocks the world.he is anytime He watched the human beings carefully, checked the hourglass in his hand, and waited for the time to come, and he would not hesitate to procrastinate. You go, whether you are the pope, the emperor, the farmer, or the child, he is the same Treat them according to the law, regardless of high or low. The old man longed for an eternal rest, when he saw the god of death approaching, he greeted him with a smile, So the god of death carefully supported him, regarded him as a friend, and sent him to the grave.but an emperor

When an emperor longs for the crown on his head, or when a merchant is reluctant to part with his property, death sternly With a smiling face, he dragged him away mercilessly.The god of death saw through the vanity and greed of human beings, so He carried out his duties with a cynical attitude. This is the irony of Holbein's "Dead Dance".He taught the emperor, the king and the farmer and sailor Treating everyone equally, they are all under the control of death, but it is human beings' nostalgia or optimism for the prosperity of the world, Makes death have to deal with kindness or sternness.

Holbin's attitude was of course criticized by the Holy See at that time.Therefore, after the manuscript was released, the publication No one dared to publish it, and it was not until twelve years later that "Dancing Dead" risked the work of the engraver for him. The name is known to the world. It became popular immediately after publication, so there are quite a few reprints, and the frames are more or less different.But according to research, The most correct ones should be the forty-one ones, most of the rest were added later and were no longer in the hands of Holbin. pen.