Death and the Soldier

About This Piece

This woodcut, "Death and the Soldier," is part of Hans Holbein the Younger's iconic Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) series. Created in the early 16th century, the series depicts Death leading people from all walks of life—kings, clergy, merchants, peasants, and even children—in a procession to the grave.

In this particular scene, Death, skeletal and cloaked, confronts a soldier who is perhaps engrossed in earthly matters, or possibly trying to ward off the inevitable. The soldier's armor and weapon suggest martial prowess, but even the strongest are not immune to the universality of death. Holbein's work often serves as a powerful memento mori, reminding viewers of the transience of life and the equality of all in the face of mortality.

The precise details and allegorical richness of Holbein's Danse Macabre have made it one of the most influential representations of the theme in Western art.

Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497–1543)
Series: Danse Macabre
Medium: Woodcut (originally part of a larger publication)
Date: Circa 1520s-1530s