Encounter of the three living and the three dead and the late medieval Dances of Death in SpainExternal link

The “Encounter of the Three Living and the Three Dead” and the “Danzas Macabras”, known in Spain as the “Dances of Death”, are two iconographic themes that perfectly reflect the situation of anguish that was palpable in European society at the end of the Middle Ages. More than a critique of classes, which does exist, the prevailing thought is the reality of all social classes, equalised in the face of Death. Mural painting is one of the most common mediums for the development of very large programmes in which the above-mentioned themes are associated with the wheel of Fortune and, to a lesser extent, the ride of the deadly sins, the latter without reference in Spain.

Collection: Texts

Project: 11. Science and culture as representation in Europe., 4. Family, daily life and social inequality in Europe.

Chronology: -

Scope: Secondary Education

Link: http://www.man.es/man/dam/jcr:0d936f9b-faa6-4c55-9ce3-e332ba3beb95/man-bol-2002-franco-mata.pdf

Resource type: pdf

Format: Texts

Owner: Arqueological National Museum of Spain (MAN) (Modernalia)

Abstract: The "Encounter of the Three Living and the Three Dead" and the "Danzas Macabras", known in Spain as the "Dances of Death", are two iconographic themes that perfectly reflect the situation of anguish that was palpable in European society at the end of the Middle Ages. More than a critique of classes, which does exist, the prevailing thought is the reality of all social classes, equalised in the face of Death. Mural painting is one of the most common mediums for the development of very large programmes in which the above-mentioned themes are associated with the wheel of Fortune and, to a lesser extent, the ride of the deadly sins, the latter without reference in Spain.