Die Bücher-Ornamentik Der Renaissance (Vol. I.) (page 4/4)

62n.—Initial capital letter “S” from Dance of Death Alphabet.

This decorative initial letter “T”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. The skeleton figures in the alphabet represent death. This letter, S, has two skeletons, or Deaths, one of whom is touching and kissing a large-breasted woman while [...] [more...]

62t.—Initial capital letter “T” from Dance of Death Alphabet.

This decorative initial letter “T”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. The skeleton figures in the alphabet represent death. The letter features a minstrel with his pipe, lying prostrate on the ground, and being dragged away by one Death, whilst another pours [...] [more...]

62v.—Initial capital letter “U” from Dance of Death Alphabet

This decorative initial letter “U” or “V”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. It shows a man on horseback [...] [more...]

62w.—Initial capital letter “W” from Dance of Death Alphabet.

This decorative initial letter “W”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. Death, depicted as a skeleton, comes for a [...] [more...]

62z.—Initial capital letter “Z” from Dance of Death Alphabet.

This decorative initial letter “Z”, or drop cap, is from an alphabet designed by Hans Holbein and dating from 1523. Appropriately for the end of the alphabet, this drop cap Z shows the end of the world and the bodily [...] [more...]

captions for plates 57 – 64

The captions are in German, and I cannot understand them. If you want to send them to me (UTF-8 please!) I’ll put the transcriptions up on the pages for the corresponding plates. [more...]