Judgment Day

Basel's Dance of death, the ossuary.

Holbein was the first person to finish a dance of death with the Resurrection, and paradoxically he might have been inspired by the beginning of Basel's dance of death - i.e. the same picture that Holbein used as inspiration for the introduction of his dance of death.

On the picture to the left - above the doorway - there's a representation of Christ as a judge - with the pious to the left - and the lost souls burning in Hell to the right.

Holbein's Imagines Mortis: The Last Judgment

Holbein's dance of death, Judgment day.

The woodcut of Judgment Day is nearly identical to the one from Holbein's great dance of death. The same passages from the Bible are cited for both works.

The accompanying text for this letter goes: »Wir werden alle ston vor dem richter stul Christi. Darumb wacht / wann ir wißt nit in welcher stundt eüwer herr würt kommen«.

The first parts is from Romans 14,10, which in Luther's version sounds: »Wir werden alle vor den Richterstuhl Gottes gestellt werden«. In English it goes: »But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ«.

The second part is from Matthew 24,42, which Luther translates like this: »Darum wachet; denn ihr wißt nicht, an welchem Tag euer Herr kommt«. In English: »Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come«.

If you're wondering what hour the Lord doth come, see the page about Judgement day.

External link: King James Bible: The gospel according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 24