The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of June 22, 2025
The Lovers Surprised by Death
1510
Location: not on view
Description
This is the earliest known chiaroscuro woodcut to be composed of a line block and two tone blocks rather than just one tone block. However, unlike the majority of German chiaroscuro woodcuts, the line block alone does not provide a coherent image. All three of the blocks must be printed for the design to be complete. The subject is a remarkably effective combination of a typically Northern subject—a grim representation of Death—and an evocative Italian setting. The classical architecture, the gondola on a canal, and the distinctively wide chimney pots indicate Venice, where Burgkmair would have stayed during his presumed journey to Italy in 1507. The figure of Death is winged, as in Italian art of the period, and the classical costumes and pose of the terrified woman resemble antique representations of Daphne fleeing Apollo, a reflection of what interested Burgkmair's patrons, the educated elite in Augsburg.- Richards, Louise. "Two Woodcuts." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 44, no. (April 1957): 63-67. Mentioned: p. 63; Reproduced: p. 64 www.jstor.org
- Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).Albrecht Dürer and His Influence. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 16-March 10, 1991).Printing in Color. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10-November 17, 1985).Death, Love, and the Maiden. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (organizer) (March 13-April 20, 1975).
- {{cite web|title=The Lovers Surprised by Death|url=false|author=Hans Burgkmair|year=1510|access-date=22 June 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1952.533