Dance of Death: The Advocate

The influential woodcut Dance of Death: The Advocate by Hans Holbein the Younger, created between 1521 and 1531, is a powerful visual example of the Danse Macabre tradition widespread in 16th-century Germany. This image belongs to Holbein’s renowned series illustrating the ubiquitous presence of mortality, showing how Death intervenes without regard for social rank, profession, or power.

In this particular print, Younger depicts the Advocate, a figure traditionally associated with the sometimes-corrupt legal establishment, interrupted while focusing on worldly pursuits. Death appears as a skeletal caricature, perhaps snatching the Advocate’s client or pointing accusatorily at the documents that symbolize the man’s livelihood and earthly preoccupation. The dramatic tension is heightened by the small, confined space and the meticulous detail rendered through the woodcut technique.

The technical proficiency required to translate Younger's complex designs into printable form allowed for the rapid dissemination of these moralizing prints throughout Europe. The strong lines and stark contrasts characteristic of the medium made the series highly accessible and influential in early modern visual culture. The enduring quality of Holbein’s Dance of Death series has made it a touchstone of Northern Renaissance art. This compelling work resides within the extensive collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Due to its age and historical importance, high-resolution prints of this seminal work are widely available through public domain archives, allowing ongoing study of the master’s technique.