he title page (to the right) says it all: »Erbaulicher Sterb-Spiegel / Das ist: Sonnen-klahre Vorstellung Menschlicher Nichtigkeit / Durch alle Stände und Geschlechter: Vermittelst schöner Kupffern / Lehr-reicher Bey-Schrifften und Hertz-beweglich angehängter Todten-Lieder. Ehmahls herauss gegeben Durch Rudolph und Conrad Meyern / Mahlern in Zürch. Anjetzo aber mit Lateinischen Unter-Schrifften der Kupffer vermehret und aussgezieret / von dem Welt-berühmten Poëten Augustino Casimiro Redelio, Belg. Mech. Sac. Cæs. Majest. L. P. Augspurg / Zu finden bey Johann Philipp Steudner. Druckts / Abraham Gugger / 1704«.
The book is a copy of Sterbensspiegel, which was published by Rudolph and Conrad Meyer in 1650. In this copy the quatrains under each plate have been replaced by a Latin text by August Casimir Redel (1656 - 1710) from the Belgian city of Mechelen. The book was printed in Augsburg in 1704.
Francis Douce writes:
In 1704 copies of 52 of these etchings were published at Augsburg, under
the title of "Tripudium mortis per victoriam super carnem universæ orbis
terræ erectum. Ab A. C. Redelio S. C. M. T. P." on a label held by Death
as before. Then the German title "Erbaulicher Sterb-Spiegel dast ist
sonnen-klahre vorstellung menschlicher nichtigkeit durch alle stande und
geschlechter: vermittelst schoner kupffern, lehr-reicher bey-schrifften
und hertz-beweglich angehangter Todten-lieder ehmahls herauss gegeben
durch Rudolph und Conrad Meyern mahlern in Zurch Anjetzo aber mit
Lateinischen unterschrifften der kupffer vermehret und aussgezieret von
dem Welt-beruhmten Poeten Augustino Casimiro Redelio, Belg. Mech. Sac.
Cæs. Majest. L. P. Augsburg zu finden bey Johann Philipp Steudner.
Druckts, Abraham Gugger. 1704." 4to.
That is, "An edifying mirror of
mortality, representing the nullity of man through all stations and
generations, by means of beautiful engravings in copper, instructive
inscriptions, and heart-moving lays of Death, as an appendix to the work
formerly edited by Rudolph and Conrad Meyern of Zurich, but now published
with Latin inscriptions, and engravings augmented and renewed by the
worldly renowned poet Augustin Casimir Redel, &c."
In this edition the Pope and all the other religious characters are
omitted, probably by design. The etchings are very inferior to the fine
originals, and without the name of the artist. The dresses are frequently
modernised in the fashion of the time, and other variations are
occasionally introduced.
(Francis Douce, The dance of death exhibited in elegant engravings on wood, 1833, pp. 150-151)
As Douce points out, the clergy are missing. Sterbensspiegel from 1650 was organized into three groups or "crowds" that each were introduced by an unnumbered plate: The ecclesiasticals, the regents and the lower classes. Erbaulicher Sterb-Spiegel follows the same structure and it does in fact have a plate of Die sambtliche Geistlichkeit (the entire clergy), but the plate is not followed by any clergy, as the next plate is Der Regier-Stand, which in turn is followed by emperor, empress, etc.
The image of the soldier is also lacking because it's the same plate as the the highway robber with the same Latin verse with the heading »Latro«.
The copies are not bad, but in contrast the paper is, so it can be hard to see the scenes, when the print on the other side is bleeding through.
Artists/publishers:
Hans Holbein (1526) - so-called proofs
Hans Holbein (1538) - the originals
Heinrich Aldegrever (1541)
Heinrich Vogtherr (1544)
Vincenzo Valgrisi (1545)
Arnold Birckmann (1555)
Juan de Icíar (1555)
Valentin Wagner (1557)
Jiří Melantrich (1563)
Georg Scharffenberg (1576)
Leonhart Straub (1581)
David Chytraeus (1590)
Peter Paul Rubens (ca. 1590)
Fabio Glissenti (1596)
Eberhard Kieser (1617)
Rudolf and Conrad Meyer (1650)
Wenceslaus Hollar (1651)
De doodt vermaskert (1654)
Thomas Neale (1657)
Johann Weichard von Valvasor (1682)
→ Erbaulicher Sterb-Spiegel (1704)
Salomon van Rusting (1707)
T. Nieuhoff Piccard (1720)
Christian de Mechel (1780)
David Deuchar (1788)
John Bewick (1789)
Alexander Anderson (1810)
Wenceslaus Hollar (1816)
"Mr. Bewick" (1825)
Ludwig Bechstein (1831)
Joseph Schlotthauer (1832)
Francis Douce (1833)
Carl Helmuth (1836)
Francis Douce (1858, 2. edition)
Henri Léon Curmer (1858)
Tindall Wildridge (1887)