The Dance of Death

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

3 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/01/2008

Category :

Arts & media

Sub category :

Arts and art history

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Summary :

Introduction
Science to explain plagues as natural occurrence
The medieval danse macabre
Representations of the macabre
The two most common forms of the danse macabre
The Dance of Death theme
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

The robed, skeletal figure of death interacting with the living has become an iconic image in contemporary culture, adorning Tarot cards, album covers and T-shirts; appearing in film, books and artistic prints. Our fascination with and fear of mortality has existed since humans first walked upon the earth. It wasn't until the early 1500s, however, that the most famous imagery of death began to proliferate across Europe, due in large part to the catastrophe of the bubonic plague less than two hundred years earlier. In this paper we will explore the history of the dance of death, its influence on medieval society and art, and the ways in which it has inspired artists throughout the centuries.The dance of death is perhaps better known by the French phrase danse macabre. The first known appearance of the word macabre dates back to the 14th century-that of the Black death-in a poem by Jean Le Fevre, Je fis de Macabre la danse. Yet the word's etymology, according to some sources, stems from the Maccabees, the Christian martyrs from whom the Purgatorial prayer of intercession originated