Jacques-Antony Chovin
Chovin: The ossuary with ivy
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Frontispiece from 1744
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Jacques-Antony Chovin (1720-1776) copied Merian's copperplates.
His plates were published from 1744 to 1830.
Chovin has decorated some of the scenes according to temporary fashion:
The ossuary (to the left) is covered with ivy,
and there are picturesque ruins in the background of
mayor and
Jew.
On the other hand, Chovin has removed all animals (except for the serpent) and birds from
Adam and Eve.
The issues were bilingual right from the beginning: All of the edifying writings from Merian's book
were included in a German and a French version. The German verses were very freely translated into
baroque French verses, that according to the translator's whim were four, six and eight lines.
Bilingual version by Birmann & Sons, ca. 1825
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Frontispiece from Birmann & Sons, ca. 1825
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In the 19th century,
the edifying sermons were dropped and the baroque French translation was replaced by
a more sober one with four lines per verse.
The picture to the left is a book published by Birmann & Sons.
Most of these publications are without year, but the copy in Google Books
has a handwritten note that it was presented by the editor in 1825:
»donné par le Editeur 18e. Août 1825«.
Later Chovin's engravings were published by J. L. Fuchs & co.,
and by then the book had become trilingual: An English translation
had been added, and
the book's introduction was written in German, French and English.
This is the same translation we later meet in the publications from
Beck and Stuckert/Schneider
(although I have to add the caveat that since most of these publications are
without year, it can be hard to determine which issue came first).
I have placed these translations under each dancer.
A little discrete change in the newest editions was that after
the wall was demolished in 1805,
the titlen was no longer,
»Todten-Tanz, wie derselbe in […] Basel, […] gemahlet und zu sehen ist«,
but,
»zu sehen war«.
The 1744-edition
Resources
Chovin's work is available several places on the Net. Here are some:
The 1789 edition is available from several places. Here's a sample:
The etchings are by Chovin, even though Merian's name is on the front page.
The book contains
Merian's original preface from 1649 (can also be read here),
and various edifying sermons, poems and a description of Basel — all of which is presented in German as well as in French.
Todten-Tantz, 1744
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Todten-Tantz, 1789
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In this Section about Basel
Dances of death
Basel
Chovin
