Hans Holbein's dance of death, Francis Douce

ost of the copies of Holbein's dance of death found on the Net are in fact produced by Francis Douce. The blocks were cut for a dissertation published by Douce in 1833.

It is not entirely clear, who cut the blocks for Douce's dissertation in 1833. Douce himself wrote (page vi in the preface) »a set of fac-similes of the abovementioned elegant designs, [...] have been executed with consummate skill and fidelity by Messrs. Bonner and Byfield, two of our best artists in the line of wood engraving. They may very justly be regarded as scarcely distinguishable from their fine originals«. In other words the two woodcutters were George Wilmot Bonner (1796-1836) and John Byfield (1788-1841).

Later on in the same book — on page 253 just before the 49 woodcuts are presented, Douce writes: »The Copies have been made by Mr. Bonner«. So maybe Byfield has only contributed to the other woodcuts that adorn Douce's book, but not to the dance of death itself?

But other experts want to pin the badge of honour on John Byfield as well. For instance Joseph Cundall writes in A brief history of wood-engraving from its invention (1895, page 82): »they have been copied on the Continent many times, and were reproduced in England in perfect facsimile and in the very best manner under the superintending care of Francis Douce, a celebrated antiquary, by John and Mary Byfield and George Bonner, all excellent engravers. Accompanied by a learned dissertation by Mr. Douce, the work was published by William Pickering in the year 1833«.

So according to Joseph Cundall, who was also the author of Holbein and his Works, not only had John Byfield worked on the dance of death, but his sister Mary Byfield (1795-1871) had contributed as well. Mary was actually quite a bit more famous than her brother; her masterpiece is considered to be the facsimile copy of Richard Daye's Prayer Book.

Cundall continues (page 125): »Among the other celebrated wood-engravers of the latter half of this century were John and Mary Byfield, who engraved the facsimile cuts of Holbein's 'Dance of Death' and 'Scenes from Old Testament History' for Pickering's editions of these celebrated works«. Once again John and Mary are lauded for the work on the dance of death (no mention of Bonner this time), but in the same breath the author mentions the reprint of Holbein's illustrations for the Old Testament.

Holbein's woodcut woodcuts for the Old Testament were indeed copied by the two siblings because according to the preface of this book from 1830 (page vii): »It only remains to observe, that the ensuing Cuts are as faithful representations of the originals as can well nigh be conceived : that they are the united efforts of a Brother and a Sister^* engaged in the laborious profession of WoodCutters - with whose talents the Public have been a long time gratified« and a footnote explained that the brother and sister were John and Mary Byfield. This preface is signed T.F.D., who wasn't Francis Douce, but Thomas Frognall Dibdin, Douce's good friend, fellow antiquarian and author of Reminiscences of a Literary Life, from which the picture at the top, right corner of the present page has been taken.

To sum up: A strict literal reading of Douce's book tells us that Bonner was alone in working on the dance of death, while John Byfield presumably has done "something else". Others claim the opposite: that John Byfield and maybe even his sister contributed, but their claims may have been influenced by a conflation of the dance of death with the cuts for the Old Testament.

The woodcuts have often been copied and have almost taken over the place of the original cuts. Partly because they are much sharper, and partly because Holbein's blocks have disappeared long ago. But one still has to remember that they are only copies, and the difference is greatest in the facial expressions. To quote Chatto once more: »Mr. Douce observes, of the forty-nine cuts given in his Dance of Death, 1833, that "they may be very justly regarded as scarcely distinguishable from their fine originals." Now, without any intention of depreciating these clever copies, I must pronounce them inferior to the originals, especially in the heads and hands«.

Resources

Other interpreters of Holbein's dance of death