Lovers Surprised by Death
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.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
147064
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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 t...