Jacques-Antony Chovin

Chovin: The ossuary

Frontispiece from 1744

Jacques-Antony Chovin (1720-1776) copied Merian's copperplates. His plates were published from 1744 to 1830.

The recto pages contain the plates and the German verses. At the verso pages there is an exuberant French translation.

Chovin: The queen

Frontispiece from 1830

The last edition was by Birmann & Sons in Basel, who replaced the baroque French translation with a more sober one.

The 1744-edition

Resources

The 1789 edition is available from no less than 3 places on the Net.

• The 1789-edition: Chovin - Baseler Todtentanz 1789
• The whole book is available as PDF file in very high quality (134 MB!): Danse des morts, La = Todten-Tantz
• The book is available from Google Books in the usual(!) quality: La danse des morts: comme elle est dépeinte dans la ville de Basle

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.

In this Section about Basel

• Huldrich Frölich
• Hans Bock the Elder
• Johann Gross
• Matthew Merian
  • Merian's preface (German text)
• The Family Mechel
• Emanuel Büchel
• Hans Kluber
• Rudolf Feyerabend
• Hieronymus Hess
• Beck
• Felix Schneider
• Kleinbasel / Klingental

Dances of death Basel Chovin