The German Tango (Lady Dances with Death) (1916)
by Louis Raemaekers (Dutch, 1869–1956)
Louis Raemaekers was the most widely published political cartoonist of World War I — his work appeared in newspapers across Europe and the United States, and the German government reportedly placed a bounty on his head. Over the course of the war he produced nearly 1,000 images, each a precise instrument of moral outrage.
The German Tango is among his most haunting: a crowned woman — aristocratic Europe, complicit and entranced — waltzes with a skeletal partner. Her posture suggests surrender, or denial, or both. The skeleton holds her with the easy confidence of something that has already won. Raemaekers' indictment is clear: the ruling class danced while the continent burned, romanticizing diplomacy and power while millions died in the mud.
A piece that has lost none of its edge in the century since it was made.
Rectangle Canvas Wrap
Gallery-quality canvas with fade-resistant inks and a 1.25" deep pine frame sourced from renewable forests. Arrives wrapped and ready to hang.
- Materials: cotton and polyester composite canvas, pine wood frame
- Inner frame: radiata pine from renewable forests
- Leveling bumpers included for wall protection
- Ready to hang — mounting hardware pre-attached
Care: Dust gently with a clean, damp cloth as needed.