The Cardinal, from "The Dance of Death"

The Cardinal, from "The Dance of Death" by Hans Holbein the Younger is a profound example of Renaissance graphic arts, executed as a highly detailed woodcut print. Created between 1521 and 1538, this piece belongs to Holbein’s iconic series illustrating the medieval Danse Macabre, which vividly satirized the universality of mortality across all societal ranks during the fraught political and religious climate of the Reformation era. Younger employed intricate linework, carved primarily by the skilled block-cutter Hans Lützelburger, to achieve remarkable depth and expressive nuance in these powerful, small-scale prints.

The scene captures a powerful man of the Church, the titular Cardinal, being accosted by a skeletal figure representing Death. The Cardinal, one of the influential men depicted in the series, is shown in a moment of arrogance or greed, actively wielding his authority when the inexorable skeleton appears to seize his vestments and staff, demanding his attention. This confrontation served as a clear moral warning to the Northern Renaissance audience, illustrating forcefully that wealth and high ecclesiastical rank provided no immunity from the universal claim of death.

Younger’s artistic and theological commentary made the series immensely influential throughout Europe. Many of the original woodblocks survived, allowing these potent images to be reproduced as popular prints for centuries afterward. This specific impression of The Cardinal resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to the age and historical significance of the original work, high-resolution public domain digital reproductions are often made available to students and researchers globally.