La Danse des Morts (The Basel Dance of Death), Matthäus Merian. c. 1830.
La Danse des Morts, Matthäus Merian / Jacques-Antony Chovin
A bilingual French and German edition of the Basel Dance of Death, with copper engravings by Jacques-Antony Chovin after Matthäus Merian, recording the celebrated mural cycle in which Death confronts people across the social hierarchy. The striking final image on page 98 is deliberately reversible: a man's portrait becomes a skull when turned upside down, an ingenious memento mori accompanied by biblical quotations.
Basel: Birmann & Fils, [c. 1830]. Undated edition. Engraved pictorial German title on blue paper, preserved and backed, with a separate French letterpress title and 43 engravings in the text, including the reversible portrait. Later green half cloth over green marbled paper boards, with black spine label lettered in gilt, gilt rules, and marbled endpapers; edges untrimmed. 98 pp. Light rubbing and scuffing to the boards and edges; binding firm. Marginal loss to the blue pictorial title, with occasional small chips and short tears to the rough page edges. Scattered foxing, toning and offsetting, with some marginal soiling, chiefly to the opening and final leaves. Faint pencil inscription beneath the final portrait.
Regular price $500.00
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