Danse Macabre (Notke)
 | |
| Artist | Bernt Notke |
|---|---|
| Year | 1633 |
| Type | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 157 cm × 210 cm (62 in × 83 in) |
| Location | St Nicholas' Church, Tallinn |
Danse Macabre is a painting by Bernt Notke. The initial fragment of the original 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide painting (accomplished at the end of the 15th century) has been preserved and is currently displayed in St. Nicholas' Church, Tallinn.[1][2]
Analysis
The Dance of Death theme is often encountered in late medieval art and literature. One impetus for this was in the middle of the 14th century, Europe was ravaged by the Black Death. Skeleton shaped personified Death dances alternately to mortals, remembering the earthly perishability and invites to think about death - the memento mori. Mortals are ranked in a hierarchy, starting with the world's mighty - Pope and emperors - and ending with the peasants, the fool or the hällilapsega. [3]
Bernt Notke painted this work at the end of the 15th century, and it is the author's repetition of Lübeck, St. Mary's Church held Dance of Death. Two of completion of the work between several aastakümment. Lübeck version has not survived. In 1701, the year was carried out in poor condition, the painter Anton Wortmann's copy. A copy was destroyed in the fire at 1942 St. Mary's Church. This was the 49 figure, the dance began flute blowing with death and ended hällilapsega. Tallinn paintings are preserved only in the beginning of the piece 13 of figure. It is unknown how many figure painting originally was, how long it was, and who ordered it. As the work of the church of St. Nicholas book of accounts (1465-1520) did not mention, it can be assumed that it donated a few wealthy private individual, a guild or brotherhood. [3]
Lübeck artist Bernt Notke's The Dance of Death located in the chapel of St. Anthony Church of St. Nicholas. It is likely that the painting was purchased originally for the chapel. The Chapel were rebuilt in 1486-1493 wider, and it can be assumed that the "Dance of Death" after re-commissioning of Luebeck construction. [3]
References
- ↑ http://www.dodedans.com/Eest.htm
- ↑ http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2063607/EST_280_002.html
- 1 2 3 Anu Mänd, Bernt Notke. Uuenduste ja traditsioonide vahel, näituse kataloog, Eesti Kunstimuuseum, 2010
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Danse Macabre (Tallinn). |
- This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Estonian Wikipedia.