Old woman, from the Dance of Death 1651 - 1800

Wenceslaus Hollar made this engraving, “Old Woman from the Dance of Death,” in the mid-17th century. It's a stark image, part of a series reflecting on mortality. Hollar, working in a Europe ravaged by the Thirty Years' War and recurrent plagues, tapped into the "memento mori" tradition, which used art to remind viewers of the inevitability of death. Here, he shows death as an unwelcome companion, literally riding on the back of an elderly woman. Another skeleton plays music, perhaps a grim dance tune. The engraving reflects a society grappling with constant loss. The institutions of religion and art both played a role in processing the ever-present reality of death. Hollar's work, with its stark imagery and clear moral message, fits squarely within this context, yet his skillful technique elevates the image beyond mere didacticism. To fully appreciate Hollar’s work, one can look at the history of printmaking, period literature, and the social history of disease and death in early modern Europe. Art like this becomes a window into understanding how past societies confronted their deepest fears.