The Old Man, from "The Dance of Death"

The Old Man, from "The Dance of Death" is a profound woodcut created by Hans Holbein the Younger between 1521 and 1538. This specific print belongs to Holbein’s renowned series, Simulacres et historiées faces de la mort (Images and Stories of the Face of Death), a pivotal work of Northern Renaissance graphic art that solidified the artist’s reputation as a master draftsman and designer of prints.

The scene depicts a venerable old man, rendered with fine detail, leaning heavily on his staff as he is confronted by the figure of Death. Death, depicted as a skeletal figure with flowing drapery, forcefully grabs the elder’s shoulder, asserting the finality of their encounter. Younger’s design mastery is evident in the technical sophistication required for the woodcut medium, utilizing stark contrast and precise parallel lines to maximize the emotional and narrative impact of the small composition. The careful preparation and intricate carving of the wooden block were skillfully executed, likely by the master block cutter Hans Lützelburger, based on drawings provided by Holbein.

The Dance of Death sequence, or Danse Macabre, was a powerful moral and social commentary popular throughout the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. It served as a reminder of the universality of mortality and the transient nature of earthly status or wealth, emphasizing that Death claims all, regardless of age or station. This historically significant print series quickly became one of the most influential and widely circulated examples of 16th-century printed art, profoundly shaping popular understanding of theological and moral concepts. This definitive work is currently held in the extensive collection of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a major contribution to the history of graphic arts, high-resolution images of this Holbein woodcut are often found in the public domain for educational study and reference.