1. Danse Macabre
The Dance of Death

2. The Danse Macabre or ‘Dance of Death’
...is a late medieval allegory which depicts the universality of death. These illustrations are designed to remind the viewer that wealth, power and beauty makes no difference in death. They depict a range of subjects-kings, popes, nobles, peasants being lead to their final resting places by skeletons -Reminding us that we are all the same in death.

3. Death and the notables (Dance of the Dead), Jacob Meydenbach, 1492 and The orchestra of death (Dance of the Dead), Heinrich Knoblochzer, 1490

4. Dance orchestra of death (La grant danse macabre des hommes et des femme), Nicolas Le Rouge, 1496

5. Look at the following picture and note;
What sort of people are included?
Why?
What colours are used?
What order are the skeletons taking the people in?
What does this tell us about the attitudes toward death?

6. Bernt Notke: Surmatants (Totentanz) in St. Nicholas' Church, Tallinn

9. Visual depictions of Danse Macabre
date from the early 15th century and
are typical of the pessimistic
attitudes of those living in the late
medieval period, many of whom
experienced famine,
war and the Black Death during the
preceding century.

12. Continuity & Change
.The following example comes from E. H. Langlois’s work, Essai Historique, Philosophique et Pittoresque sur les Danses des Morts. At the time of its publication in 1852, Danse Macabre had been around for over 400 years. Thus, this illustration shows us the resiliency of death as an art form, and an example of the continuity that existed between medieval and early modern periods with respect to people’s attitudes towards death.

14. This musical score was written in 1874 by Camille Saint -Saens and is also called ‘Danse Macabre’

16. A subject that continues to fascinate…….

17. In many mediums….

18. Is Danse Macabre a legacy of the Black Death?