Dance of Death (litho)

Choice examples of early printing and engraving, facsimles from rare and curious books. The Dance of Death. The Dance of Death, in medieval legend, means the visit of Death and his summons to people in every rank and profession of life. This was a favourite subject with medieval painters and poets. Such a series of pictures was set up on the walls of St Paul's Cathedral, London, in the 16th century. The present Dance of Death is a page from a volume printed at Lyons in 1499. It represents the visit of the Destroyer to a printing house, where the compositors and pressmen are each being summoned to their account. In the other compartment of the picture Death lays his icy hand on a book seller. Nothing can be more clever than these drawings, the animation and expression of which will appeal at once to the connoiseur. Published in The World's Great Classics, Library Comittee; published by The Colonial Press, New York & London, 1899.