Lovers Surprised by Death
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From the museum
Themes derived from the Dance of Death, a medieval allegory in which Death overcomes people of all ages and levels of society, pervaded German art in the late medieval and Renaissance periods. As the first true chiaroscuro woodcut, Hans Burgkmair's compelling depiction of lovers torn apart by death is a work of pivotal importance. It represents a major cognitive leap on the part of the artist, who was the first to compose an organic three-dimensional composition by juxtaposing and overprinting three tones added by three different wood blocks.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- Hans Burgkmair the Elder, German, 1473-1531
- Date
- 1510
- Medium
- Chiaroscuro woodcut from three blocks in shades of brown on ivory laid paper
- Dimensions
- 21.7 × 15.7 cm (8 9/16 × 6 3/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Germany
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Endowment
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
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