The Abbess
Abbess
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The World's oldest tarot deck: The Fool
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Holbein: The Fool (Psalm 53,2)
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eath drags the abbess away, while she holds on to her rosary and her abbess-staff. Inside the monastery, one of the nuns are screaming.
Some commentators think, Death is draped with flags! Personally I believe they are long feathers.
It's rather normal that fools have long feathers in their heads.
See the tarot card to the left from
the world's oldest tarot deck, Visconti-Sforza —
or see the picture that Holbein made for The Old Testament (to the right).
Death is dressed like a fool — just like the Death that drags the queen away.
Portrait of Holbein by Hendrik Hondius.
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Copy attributed to Simon Frisius
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On the portrait of Holbein made by Hondius, the abbess appears in the background.
The same thing is true for the copy to the right.
Variations: Birckmann adds a window, which is partially hidden behind Death's head. Hollar og
Deuchar copy the window.
Various Artists
Dances of death
Holbein's dance of death
Abbess
