| Alfred Leopold Isidor Kubin (April 10, 1877 - August | | | | The rough patches in Alfred's early life permanently |
| 20, 1959), better known as Alfred Kubin, was a | | | | affected his artistic inclination and the body of work, |
| multitalented artist with interests varying in the areas | | | | as is evident in "Totentanz." His sketches invariably |
| of illustration, painting, and writing. He was a lead | | | | attached an air of power and supremacy of dead |
| 'Expressionist,' born in Bohemia, Austria. Living much | | | | (represented by human skeleton) over the 'living.' "Ein |
| up to the reputation of the 'Bohemian' artists, Kubin | | | | Neuer Totentanz (A New Dance of the Dead)," |
| carved a niche for himself through his path breaking | | | | begins with its cover page featuring a larger than life |
| body of work consistently featuring the concept of | | | | skeleton, resting upside down across a road and |
| death. Although he occasionally painted in oil, his | | | | stretching its hands to get two human figures on a |
| best-known works are his ink sketches, watercolor | | | | lonely road. As one proceeds, the pictures and |
| paintings, and lithographs, the number of which runs | | | | themes become more gruesome. |
| into thousands. His most acclaimed work was created | | | | In one of the pictures, a dead man stands and plays |
| in the year 1925, with the name "Totentanz (Dance | | | | violin near the head of a dying young woman. In |
| of the Dead)." He came up with a sequel of | | | | another sketch, a vulture is shown attacking a living |
| "Totentanz," compiled in the form of a book titled | | | | man and a skeleton lying on the ground. In yet |
| "Ein Neuer Totentanz (A New Dance of the Dead)," | | | | another scene, rats are depicted nibbling at a dying |
| in 1949. | | | | woman in her bed. A dead woman lying near her |
| Similar, to its prequel, "Ein Neuer Totentanz" by Alfred | | | | broken bicycle, a severed head, a drowning person, |
| is a collection of highly disturbing pen and ink | | | | and so on follow it. Each of these frames prominently |
| imageries of decay, death, and demons. Kubin's | | | | features the human skeleton, as a symbol of the |
| fascination with the cadaverous can be linked to his | | | | inevitable fate of the living. It sometimes scares |
| personal experiences in his early life. At the age of | | | | them, sometimes aids in their demise, and yet |
| nineteen, Kubin lost his mother and tried to take his | | | | another times, comes to 'take away' the dead. |
| own life. While he was serving the army for a brief | | | | Despite of the scary images of "Ein Neuer |
| period, his fiancée died untimely. These | | | | Totentanz," it is an epitome of truth and remains one |
| personal blows and his stint with the military | | | | of the masterworks in the field of 'Expressionism. |
| culminated into a nervous breakdown. | | | | |