Dance of Death: The Emperor

Hans Holbein the Younger

Cleveland Museum of Art

Black and white woodcut image of the Dance of Death: The Emperor. The central figure is a man with long hair sitting on a large ornate throne; he wears a long robe, and a hat. A man kneels before him to his right. The emperor's left arm rests on the arm of the throne and his right arm seems to gesture. Behind the emperor on his right are two men wearing hats and ornate necklaces; both carry staffs. To his left, on his far side, a third man with an ornate staff faces the emperor and a fourth individual faces away. Above, a skeleton sits on the backrest of the throne, playing a fiddle. The background features fabric draped over what appears to be pillars; there are cherubs sitting on the drapery above the pillars. In the foreground are objects on a floor including an hourglass, globe, and crown. The top of the image contains a text box with stylized text reading "Der Keyser".