Axial Commons Image Treasury
Panoramic painting of skeletons and living figures in dark clothing dancing in a line along a hilltop under a pale evening sky.

The Dance of Death

A long panoramic painting of a procession of skeletons and living figures in dark costumes dancing across a hilltop under a pale dusk sky. Skeletal dancers appear throughout the line, while figures in flowing gowns and hats trail behind, rendered in muted tones with a dramatic silhouette.

Artist
James Tissot
Date
1860
Medium
Source
Wikimedia Commons / Wikidata
Size
1024 × 293 px
Download full size
Public domain · James Tissot died 1902 and the work dates by 1860; public domain in the US and life+70 countries.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier B · as stated by the source: Public domain

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

More from Vanitas and Memento Mori

VanitasVanitasA Vanitas Still Life with a Flag, Candlestick, Musical Instruments, Books, Writing Paraphernalia, Globes, and HourglassA Vanitas Still Life with a Flag, Candlestick, Musical Instruments, Books, Writing ParapheBust of an Old ManBust of an Old ManDodendansDodendansEmblemata Saecularia, 1596Emblemata Saecularia, 1596The skull of the painter Raphael: frontal view. Lithograph by Engelmann after C.P. Mazer.The skull of the painter Raphael: frontal view. Lithograph by Engelmann after C.P. Mazer.