n away some danger. Many of these works commemorate an escape from
accident or a recovery from sickness.

The picture is very beautiful, and it seems as if the Virgin wished to
share her peace with the kneeling family, so sweet is the expression of
her face, while the child seems to bestow a blessing with his lifted hand.
The original was probably painted for a "Chapel of Our Lady."

His "Dance of Death" was very curious, the idea being that Death is always
near us and trying to strike down his prey. The pictures represent a
skeleton clutching at his victims, who are of all ages and occupations,
from the lovely young bride at the altar to the hard-working pedlar in the
cut we give here, and all of them are hurried away by this frightful
figure which stands for Death itself.

Holbein made many wood engravings, but none so important as these. When
the set is complete there are fifty-three cuts, but it is rare to find
more than forty-six.

Holbein was one of the foremost of German masters. All his pictures are
realistic, and many of them are fantastic; he gave graceful movement and
beauty of form to many of his subjects; his drapery was well arranged; his
color and manner of painting were good. He painted in fresco and oil
colors, executed miniatures and engravings. His portraits were his best
works, and in them he equalled the greatest masters. The most reliable
portrait of this artist is in the Basle Museum. It is done in red and
black chalk, and represents him as a man with regular, well-shaped
features, with a cheerful expression which also shows decision of
character.

[Illustration: FIG. 61.--FROM HOLBEIN'S DANCE OF DEATH.]

There were other good artists in the Augsburg school after the time of the
Holbeins; but I shall pass immediately to the Franconian school, or that
of Nuremburg, and to its great master, ALBERT DUERER (1471-1528), whose
life was very interesting, and who stands, as an artist, among the
greatest painters of the world. The city of Nuremburg was a grand, rich
old place even in Duerer's time, and as a boy he was familiar with its
scenery and architecture, which helped him to cultivate his artist tastes,
and to make him the great man that he became. He was an author of books as
well as an architect, sculptor, painter, and engraver.

His father was a goldsmith, and Albert was apprenticed to the same trade;
but he was so anxious to study painting that at length his father placed
him as apprentice