Ein Todtentanz aus dem Jahre 1848 [A Dance of Death from the Year 1848]
Printmaker:
Schmidt, Oskar; Steinbrecher, Gustav Richard; Gaber, August; Bürkner, Hugo
Publisher:
Wigand, Georg
Draughtsman:
Rethel, Alfred
(After)
A large sheet of six demarcated and numbered wood-engravings with verses below (height 252mm x width 321mm), set out in three sections from left to right. All the images are tinted pale yellow. 1. Death climbs out of a grave, assisted by the Vices, who provide him with sword, scythe, horse and clothes. Four verses below composed by Robert Reinick: 'Freiheit, Gleichheit und Brudersinn! ...'. 2. Death rides into town, frightening two peasants in the fields. Four short verses below composed by Robert Reinick: 'Der Morgen schaut von himmelszelt ...'. 3. Death tricks the townsfolk into thinking that a clay pipe weighs the same as a king's crown. The wood-engraver's name is included in the design at lower right: 'SCHMIDT. SC.'. Four verses below composed by Robert Reinick: 'Er ist am Ziel ...'. 4. Death stands on a platform, handing a sword labelled 'People's Justice' to a crowd of clamouring men below. The first two letters of the wood-engraver's name are printed within the design at lower centre: 'st. [Steinbrecher]'. Four verses below composed by Robert Reinick: ' "Freiheit, Gleichheit under Brudersinn!" ...'. 5. Death stands on the barricade, unharmed by the soldier's missiles, whilst the men fighting around him are killed. Four verses below composed by Robert Reinick: ' "Zur Barrikade!" "Pflaster auf!!" ...'. 6. Death sits triumphant on his horse, the Revolutionaries around him are dead or dying. The wood-engraver's name is included in the design at lower right, printed quite boldly: 'GABER SC.'. Four short verses below composed by Robert Reinick: 'Der sie geführt - es war der Tod! ..'. First section, upper centre (title and artist): 'Ein Todtentanz / erfunden und gezeichnet von Alfred Rethel'. Second section, upper centre, poem by Robert Reinick: 'Du Bürger und du Bauersmann, ...schaut her, wie es damit bestellt.'. Third section, upper centre (title continued and author): 'aus dem Jahre 1848. / mit erklärendem Texte von R. Reinick'. An epilogue by Robert Reinick is printed below the images at lower centre across the three sections from left to right: 'Als Leichen - ja! - da sind wir gleich, ... So segne Gott das Vaterland!'. The publisher's details, price and printer's details are given below, across the three sections, from left to right: 'Leipzig, Verlag von Georg Wigand. / Preis 5 Silbergroschen / Schnellpressendruct von F.A. Brockhaus in Leipzig'. There are creases across the centre and between each section, enabling the sheet to be folded to a smaller size. Additional folding has occurred down the centre of each image. The original title of the series was 'Auch ein Todtentanz aus dem Jahre 1848'. Subsequent editions or formats sometimes drop the 'Auch' as here. The wood-engravings in the first edition were untinted. See, P.151-1996.
Given by Mr Philip J. Worsley, 1914-12
Method of acquisition: Given (1914-12) by Worsley, Philip J.
19th Century
Production date:
AD 1849
Height 715mm x width 1160mm
Accession number: P.14785-R
Primary reference Number: 225380
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Ein Todtentanz aus dem Jahre 1848 [A Dance of Death from the Year 1848]" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/225380 Accessed: 2024-05-09 22:02:14
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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/225380
|title=Ein Todtentanz aus dem Jahre 1848 [A Dance of Death from the Year 1848]
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-05-09 22:02:14|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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