A Culture of DeathThis image reproduces a portion of a Dance of Death painting, originally created by the German artist Berndt Notke in 1463 and subsequently restored and reproduced many times. In the inscriptions at the bottom of the painting, each living character addresses a skeletal figure, who in turn makes a reply. Here is the exchange between the empress (shown in a red dress and elaborate head gear) and Death.I know, Death means me! I was never terrified so greatly! I thought he was not in his right mind, after all, I am young and also an empress. I thought I had a lot of power; I had not thought of him or that anybody could do something against me. Oh, let me live on, this I implore you!And then Death replies:Empress, highly presumptuous, I think, you have forgotten me. Fall in! It is now time. You thought I should let you off? No way! And were you ever so much, you must participate in this play, and you others, everybody — Hold on! Follow me, Mr. Cardinal!4St. Nicholas’s Church, Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia/Bridgeman Images