De Advocaat en de Dood

This article comments on the iconography of Rubens’ sketch ‘The lawyer and death’ after Hans Holbein’s woodcut. The drawing is an example of a post-medieval dance macabre, conveying the message that all are equal in the face of death. The article discusses other examples of these dances of death, specifically concerning the legal profession. The identification of the main persona as an advocate or lawyer is called into question, due to the presence of a judicial rod.