The Old man

Old man
Holbein Proofs, Old man

Haselbach, Old man
Haselbach, Old man

L Holbein, Initial W, Hermit eath leads the old man by the hand towards the open grave. The man seems to show more interest in Death's dulcimer. The hourglass stands at the end of the wall — time is left behind.

The picture is reminiscent of the hermit in Holbein's dance of death alphabet (picture to the right). In both cases, Death leads an old, fragile man by the hand. In one case, the hermit is about to stumble over a stone, in the other case the man will fall into the open grave.

The dance of death in Wasserburg
Dance of death in Wasserburg's ossuary, 1837

Holbein's woodcut has inspired the dance of death in the chapel in Haselbach (picture to the left) and the dance of death from the former ossuary in Wasserburg from 1837 (picture to the right). See also the blind man in Basel's dance of death.

Variations: Birckmann has placed the hourglass next to the grave, removed the tree and added a village in the background. For once he's not imitated by Hollar and Deuchar.
Bewick places the hourglass on a sarcophagus and spreads a few bones on the grounds.

Various Artists

Holbein Proofs (1526)
Holbein Proofs 1526: Old man
Holbein (1538)
Holbein 1538: Old man
Vogtherr (1544)
Vogtherr 1544: Old man
Birckmann (1555)
Birckmann 1555: Old man
Wagner (1557)
Wagner 1557: Old man
Scharffenberg (1576)
Scharffenberg 1576: Old man
Straub (1581)
Straub 1581: Old man
Chytraeus (1590)
Chytraeus 1590: Old man
Glissenti (1596)
Glissenti 1596: Old man
Donaueschingen (1600)
Donaueschingen 1600: Hermit
Kieser (1617)
Kieser 1617: Old man
Hollar (1651)
Hollar 1651: Old man
Doodt Vermaskert (1654)
Doodt Vermaskert 1654: Old man
Thomas Neale (1657)
Thomas Neale 1657: Old man
Valvasor (1682)
Valvasor 1682: Old man
Doodt Vermaskert (1698)
Doodt Vermaskert 1698: Old man
Rusting (1707)
Rusting 1707: Old man
Rusting (1707)
Rusting 1707: Old man
Mechel (1780)
Mechel 1780: Old man
Deuchar (1788)
Deuchar 1788: Old man
Bewick (1789)
Bewick 1789: Old man
Anderson (1810)
Anderson 1810: Old man
Hollar (colour) (1816)
Hollar (colour) 1816: Old man
Bechstein (1831)
Bechstein 1831: Old man
Schlotthauer (1832)
Schlotthauer 1832: Old man
Douce (1833)
Douce 1833: Old man
Curmer (1858)
Curmer 1858: Old man
Deuchar (1887)
Deuchar 1887: Old man