Dance of Death

The Dance of Death, or Danse Macabre, is an allegorical representation of death’s supremacy over mankind. The earliest known example dates back to the 14th century and the scene was usually depicted in a painting or fresco; the Chapel’s ‘Dance of Death’ is generally believed to be one of the earliest examples to be carved in stone.

Sixteen characters are depicted, each accompanied by death, represented by a skeleton – an abbot, an abbess, a defaced figure, a lady looking into a mirror, another defaced figure, a bishop, a cardinal, a courtier, a king, a ploughman, a carpenter, a gardener with his spade, a sportsman, a child, a husband and wife, a farmer.