Der Alt man (The Old Man)

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

The image shows the full-length figures of an elderly man and a skeletal figure interacting. The man is leaning forward, supported by a walking stick, with his body slightly curved towards the skeleton. He has a long beard and a bald head with some hair around the sides, wearing a long coat with fur trim, a prominent button near the top, and shoes. The skeleton faces the man, reaching out with one arm while the other arm is bent upwards. There is no facial features on the skeleton, just a skull. The background displays fluffy clouds and trees, suggesting an outdoor setting, with some ground details in the foreground. The drawing has a sketch-like quality, resembling a woodcut appearance typical of early printed illustrations. The text "Der Alt man" is inscribed above the figures.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.4841

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Passavant, no. 32


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1933

  • A Century of Progress, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1933, no. 18.

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, 33.

Wikidata ID

Q64957280

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