Den dödlige narren : En studie av satir och humor i dödsdansen av Hans Holbein den yngre

Sammanfattning: Hans Holbein's Dance of Death has fascinated researchers for centuries, and in the shape of the book Les Simulachres et historiées de la mort, published in 1538, it was going to change the perception of the dance of death theme for a long time ahead. What most researchers point out about Holbein's pictures is its underlying sense of satire or irony – but is typically glossed over as a matter of fact. The aim of this study is to explore what makes satire and humor apparent in Holbein's dance of death. The study mainly focuses on four separate images from Holbein's series, that represent different social standings and professions to compare and study the difference in satire depending on this factor. By using Panofsky's iconographic method, Kemp's reception theory and Bachtin's theory about the carnivalesque and the grotesque, the study shows that Holbein was inspired by the earlier traditions of the Dance of Death theme but made certain new changes that were related to renaissance culture and ideas. These factors in combination with the ideas of the grotesque turned the frightful Death into something more than just a sudden harbinger of death – it was also part of carnival culture and laughter.