The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 13, 2025

Small Dance of Death

1918

Hans Grohs

(German, 1892–1981)
Germany, 20th century
suite of 4 woodcuts
Gift of Daniel E. Piersol and Maureen A. Donnelly in memory of Frauken Grohs Collinson 2022.128
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

After being declared a “degenerate” artist by Hitler’s National Socialist Party in 1937, Hans Friedrich Grohs buried most of his artwork in a barn.

Description

Like many German Expressionists, Groh’s primary medium was woodcut. The theme of the Dance of Death dates back centuries in Germany and had been a common theme for prints since the early Renaissance. Revived in the 20th century by the Expressionists, it conveyed the fear and angst felt in the period surrounding World War I. Featuring various members of society and their confrontation with Death, Groh’s simple, stark, black-and-white designs and claustrophobic compositions forcefully convey the anxiety and reality of wartime Germany.
  • ?–1981
    Estate of the artist, Germany
    Frauken Grohs Collinson (the artist's daughter), given to Daniel Piersol
    ?-2022
    Daniel Piersol, Jackson, MS, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    September 12, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Grohs, Hans, Robert P. Bareikis, and Daniel Piersol. Visions from the Soul: The Woodcuts of Hans Friedrich Grohs. 2002. cat. nos. 17, 21, 23, 24; p. 64 (no. 17); mentioned pp. 41-42
  • {{cite web|title=Small Dance of Death|url=false|author=Hans Grohs|year=1918|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.128