The Rider
© The Trustees of the British Museum
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JMJ
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The rider tries to flee, but Death is sitting behind him.
The rider is the only person who doesn't appear in Holbein's great dance of death
(with the possible exception of
the young woman).
The accompanying text goes: »Behendt werden sy sterben / vnd die völcker werden betrübt zu mitternacht /
und werden durch gonn /
vnd werden hyn weg nemen den gewaltigen on die handt«.
This is from Job 34,20, which in Luther's version sounds:
»Plötzlich müssen die Leute sterben und zu Mitternacht erschrecken und vergehen;
die Mächtigen werden weggenommen ohne Menschenhand«.
In English:
»In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away:
and the mighty shall be taken away without hand«.
Various artists
The dance of death
Alphabet
Holbein
V
