Holbein

1804 · rif. 13945 — London: np 1804. Later Edition. Full Calf. Very Good. Later Edition. Full Calf. "Dance of Death": late-medieval allegory on the universality of death. With Hans Holbein the Younger the Danse macabre takes on a completely new artistic form. This depicts the brutal irruption of Death in work and the joy of living. This representation takes precedence over the idea that death spares no social class. In 1538 with the publication of Les simulacres de la Mort Hans Holbein the Younger redefines the theme of the danse macabre. Death always aggressive and jubilant no longer dances in a long farandole but intervenes directly in scenes of daily life. This is a series of 32 engraving with a folding plate which were originally executed around 1804. This edition has continuous pagination and is in English beginning with a divisional title: 'Descriptions of the cuts in Hollar's Dance of death.' The final part 'The Dance of Macaber.' Collation: A2-B-F8 Pagination: 281p1 32 plates 2 frontis 1 folding 29 engraved leaves. This copy also includes handwritten inscriptions on the plates of Biblical verses from Genesis on several leaves. Completely detached front board shaken rear rubbing/bumping to extremities otherwise a good copy. Full mottled tree calf with gilt spine/edging decorations. 4to. 81pp. Illus. b/w 32 unnumbered leaves of engravings with folding plate frontispieces. Annotations. Lacking a plate np unknown