Rich Man, from the Dance of Death 1651

Wenceslaus Hollar etched this miniature print, "Rich Man," part of a "Dance of Death" series. Death, depicted as a skeleton, lurks nearby with his shovel. The rich man, adorned in fine clothing, engages with a beggar, perhaps a commentary on the futility of wealth in the face of death. Such imagery—Death leading figures from all walks of life—echoes through medieval and Renaissance art. Consider Holbein's woodcuts on the same theme; Death’s presence is a memento mori. The hourglass, often carried by Death, is a potent reminder of fleeting time. Like the ancient Greek concept of Kairos, it encapsulates the critical, decisive moment. The Dance of Death motif is more than a morbid fascination; it's a psychological confrontation with our mortality, a collective grappling with existential anxieties. This print, like others in its lineage, serves as a mirror, reflecting our shared human condition across centuries.