SHARRYLAND
The macabre dance of Clusone
On the walls of Clusone oratory, death queen invites men to dance with her
Where is
What is it and where is the macabre dance of Clusone.
Why it is special: the work continues inside the oratory.
It is the work of a Clusone painter, Giacomo Borlone de Buschis, from the second half of the 15th century. Many tourists are content to see the exterior fresco, because the interior is accessed from the Museum, and that is a pity because the interior of this small oratory holds a nice surprise: it is frescoed entirely by the same painter with vivid scenes, with etched outlines and brilliant colors. They are stories from the life of Jesus, from the Annunciation to the Passion, and culminate in the beautiful fresco of the Crucifixion, with a crowd of characters delineated with great effectiveness, from the pious women to the soldiers who play dice with Jesus' robes.
Not to be missed: the statues in the oratory.
Before leaving, the scenic Lamentation of the Dead Christ, by the workshop of the Fantoni family, famous carvers from Rovetta, should not be overlooked: a group of seven man-sized, painted-wood statues that are truly expressive.
A bit of history
The oratory dates from the 1300s but was remodeled in the next century; the frescoes are dated 1485. The mourning, on the other hand, is from the first half of the 1700s.
Fun fact: Why was the theme of the Triumph of Death so popular?
The Triumph of Death is an iconographic theme in European art that dates back to the Middle Ages, a time characterized by plagues, wars and political instability. It depicts death inviting people of various social classes and statuses to dance to the Tomb, the Dance Macabre in fact. The theme becomes more obsessive following the Black Death epidemic that swept across Europe beginning in 1346 and reduced the continent's population by a third or perhaps even half. In that context, reflection on the transience of life and anxiety over inescapable death gives rise to countless representations such as that of Clusone.
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