The dance of death exhibited in elegant engravings on wood with a dissertation on the several representations of that subject but more particularly on those ascribed to Macaber and Hans Holbein / by F. Douce.

Francis Douce

Date:: 1833

Credit: The dance of death exhibited in elegant engravings on wood with a dissertation on the several representations of that subject but more particularly on those ascribed to Macaber and Hans Holbein / by F. Douce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$\3H CHAPTER IX. Further examination of Holbein’s title.—Borbonius.— . Biographical notice of llolbeiti. — Fainting of a Dance of Death at Whitehall by him. T may be necessary in the next place to make some further enquiry respecting the connection that Holbein is supposed to have had at any time with the sub- ject of the Dance of Death. The numerous errors that have been fallen into in making Holbein a participator in any manner whatever with the old Basle Macaber Dance, have been already noticed, and are indeed not worth the trouble of re- futing. It is wholly improbable that he would inter- fere with so rude a piece of art j nor has his name been recorded among the artists who are known to have re- touched or repaired it. The Macaber Dance at Basle, or any where else, is, therefore, with respect to Holbein, to be altogether laid aside; and if the argument before deduced from the important dedication to the edition of the justly celebrated wood-cuts published at Lyons in ] 538 be of any value, his claim to their invention, at least to those in the first edition, must also be re- jected. There is indeed but very slight evidence, and none contemporary, that he painted any Dance of Death at Basle. The indefinite statements of Bishop Burnet and M. Patin, together with those of the numerous and On the same dedication are founded the opinions of Zani, De Murr, Meintel, and some others.$