The Mendicant Friar

c. 1526

Hans Lützelburger after Hans Holbein the Younger

Associated Names
Hans Lützelburger

Artist, German, active 1517-1526

Hans Holbein the Younger

Artist After, German, 1497/1498 - 1543

This is a drawing of a skeleton interacting with a surprised individual amidst an architectural and cloud-filled backdrop. The scene is rendered in a detailed monochromatic style, utilizing intricate line work to convey texture and form. In the foreground, a robed figure is pulling away from a lively skeleton that holds onto the cloak with one hand. The skeleton appears animated and expressive. To the left, an ornately decorated column anchors the scene, and an hourglass can be seen on the ground. Swirling clouds dominate the background, adding a sense of movement and drama to the composition.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1954.12.80

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Passavant, no. 23


Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1860

  • Passavant, Johann David. Le peintre-graveur, contenant l'histoire de la gravure sur bois, sur metalet au buring jusque vers la fin du XVI siecle .... 6 vols. Leipzig: Rudolph Weigel, 1860-1864.

1949

  • Hollstein, F.W.H. et al. German engravings, etchings and woodcuts, ca. 1400-1700. Vol. XIV A. Roosendaal, 1988: no. 99, 23.

Wikidata ID

Q65226959

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