Doctor, from the Dance of Death 1651 - 1800

"Doctor, from the Dance of Death" is an etching by the prolific Bohemian artist, Wenceslaus Hollar. This print depicts a scene of a doctor being confronted by Death in a room filled with medicinal supplies. Death, in the form of a skeleton, reaches toward the doctor with a bag, representing his inevitable fate. The scene is a visual reminder of the powerlessness of man in the face of death, even for those who strive to combat it, and is characteristic of the "Dance of Death" genre, a popular theme in art during the 16th and 17th centuries, where Death is depicted as a dancing figure leading everyone to their demise.