A dance to the music of death

July 14, 2024 8:38 AM

Death and the human A look at how the artistic figure of death taking people has changed over centuries, with links to sources. (SLPublic Domain Review)
posted by doctornemo (9 comments total)

If you imagine all these as posters, you'll be picturing my dorm room from college.
posted by mittens at 9:08 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

It must have been quite the space, mittens.

It is quite a thing to envision Death as -partying- during mass death events.
posted by janell at 11:00 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

It is indeed, Janell. Death parties but also organizes and MC's.
posted by doctornemo at 12:25 PM on July 14

parties but also organizes and MC's & has an awesome place
posted by HearHere at 1:24 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]

In the fourth illustration that compositor is so clearly thinking "Do you mind, I am trying to get this line justified."
posted by Major Clanger at 1:24 PM on July 14 [3 favorites]

Death also has a fine abode in Sandman.
posted by doctornemo at 2:04 PM on July 14

searching for something unrelated, i found a thread previously that (tangentially?) relates to this, from the article above: Scholars usually cite a 1424–25 mural painted in the Cimetière des Innocents in Paris as the earliest known visual depiction of the dance of death [dodedans], although the allegory had previously appeared in medieval plays
posted by HearHere at 3:22 PM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Nice catch, HearHere.
posted by doctornemo at 5:34 PM on July 14

while not exactly Death, this was an excellent exhibition of portrayals of Hell in Asian art
posted by kokaku at 3:04 AM on July 15