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[Van Sichem, Georg] : DER TODTEN-TANZ, wie derselbe in der Weitberühmten Stadt Basel..

Gebrüdern von Mechel, Basel, 1796 [1843]

Tall 8vo., later quarter cloth over 19th century boards with morocco corners. Quite a nice copy. The work contains 41 large woodcuts of the Dance of Death (many signed with the initials GS), partly after the renowned Basel paintings and partly after Holbein's designs, with descriptive text above and below the images. There is an inserted frontispiece on thin yellow paper which depicts a view of Basel, entitled: "Der Todten-Tanz zu Basel. Anno MDLXXVI." As Aldred Warthin (The Physician of the Dance of Death) explains, "This mixture of subjects led to the belief that Holbein painted the Basel [Dance of Death] wall paintings; and in the Frölich edition of 1608, and in the editions following, issued by Conrad de Mechel, and the de Mechel Brothers, there is perpetuated the same confusion between Holbein's work and the Basel frescos." Most of these editions have 41 woodcuts, 27 from Holbein, 7 from the Basel Todtentanz, and 7 probably from the Todtentanz in Berne, according to Warthin.See: Minns Collection. Nos. 23 (for the 1608 edition) and 32 (for the 1796 Gebrüdern von Mechel edition). Warthin. pp. 83-89.

UNCOMMON (AND MISLEADING)

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