Dancers 1911

Moriz Jung animated this printed image with lithography, conjuring a scene of dance and revelry. Here, the figures move with a certain rhythmic abandon, their forms defined by bold lines against a red backdrop. This depiction of dance is not merely a snapshot of merriment; it is a potent symbol of communal joy and shared experience. Consider the age-old motif of the dancing figure. We see it echoed in ancient Greek vase paintings, where maenads whirl in ecstatic frenzy, and in medieval depictions of the Dance of Death, where skeletons lead the living in a macabre jig. Here, Jung's dancers reflect a similar primal impulse—an urge to transcend the mundane through movement and rhythm. This collective effervescence, as Durkheim might call it, binds individuals together in a shared emotional state, forging a sense of unity. The dance resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.