Medieval and Renaissance Dancers

Dancers

By examining depictions of dancers in medieval artwork, one can develop theories of how such dances might have looked -- and learn about what sorts of people danced, and how they dressed.

For more information about pre-17th century dance, see these links. Additional dance-related iconography can be found at Bildsammlung Mittelaltertanz - Medieval Dance Picture Collection, Collection of Dance Pictures from 800 to 1550.

WESTERN EUROPE

Luxuria dances, tempting warriors, Psychomachia (British Library Add. 24199, fol. 18), late 10th century
The Israelites rejoice (fol. 9), The Maciejowski Bible, 13th century
A man plays vielle while a woman dances, a psalter (PML MS G.2, fol. 1v), c. 1260-1280
A dancing couple, La Breviare d'Amour (Biblioteca Monasterio del Escorial, fol. 215v), 13th or early 14th century
Herr Hiltbold von Schwangau (fol. 146r) and Meister Rumslant (fol. 413v), The Manesse Codex (Cod. Pal. germ. 848), 1300-1330
Round dance, Roman de la Rose (KB 120 D 13, fol. 6v), first half of the 14th century
Musicians play tabor and bagpipe to accompany dancers, Roman de la Rose (British Library MS Royal 20 A. XVII, fol. 9), first half of the 14th century
A woman dances while a man plays a vielle (Universitätsbibliothek Graz 32, fol. 106v), c. 1300-1350
A woman dances while a friar plays music, The Maastricht Hours (British Library Stowe 17, fol. 38), c. 1310-1320
David dances before the Ark, Bible historiale (BNF Fr. 8, fol. 138), c. 1320-1330
Dancing men (note alternating colored clothing), The Luttrell Psalter (British Library MS. ADD. 42130), c. 1320-1340
Dance, Roman de la Rose (British Library Stowe 947, fol. 7), c. 1320-1340
Dancers in the Fresco of the Good Government (Palazzo Publico, Siena) by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, 1338-1340
The Romance of Alexander (Bodl. 264), 1338-1344, fols. 21v, 51v, 58r, 78r, 84v, 106r, 110r, 129r, 172r, 172v, 175r, and 181v
Musician and dancers (fol. 001) and Deduit with dancers (fol. 005), Roman de la Rose (Bibl. Sainte-Geneviève MS 1126), c. 1350-1360
Dancers (see detail) in The Way of Salvation (Cappella Spagnuolo, Santa Maria Novella, Florence) by Andrea da Firenze, 1365-1368
Adam and his descendants dance around the Tree of Knowledge, Pilgrimage of the Soul (Bibl. Sainte-Geneviève MS 1130, fol. 155), c. 1367-1399
Music and dance, Tacuinum Sanitatis (ÖNB Codex Vindobonensis, series nova 2644, fol. 104v), c. 1370-1400

In twenty manere koude he trippe and daunce
After the scole of Oxenforde tho,
And with his legges casten to and fro,
And pleyen songes on a smal rubible;
Therto he song som tyme a loud quynyble;
And as wel koude he pleye on a giterne.

The Miller's Tale from
The Canterbury Tales, ll. 220-225

Disloyal lovers, Dit du lion (BNF Fr. 1584, fol. 92), c. 1372-1377
Dance, Roman de la Rose (British Library Yates Thompson 21, fol. 8v), c. 1380
The Carol (detail), late 14th century
Dancers and musicians in a fresco at Runkelstein Castle at Bolzano, c. 1390-1395
Couples dancing on the Sabbath from a fresco at Jaufental, c. 1395-1405
The Lover dances with Courtesy, Roman de la Rose (Getty Ludwig XV 7, fol. 9v), c. 1405
Detail from the June fresco at the Castello Buonconsiglio, c. 1405-1410
Dance, Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333, fol. 102), 15th century
Dancers in a fresco from South Tyrol, c. 1415-1425
Round dance, Roman de la Rose, c. 1420-1430
Border, The Hours of Marguerite d'Orléans (BNF Latin 1156 B, fol. 165), c. 1430
Feast for the wedding of Jean d'Avesnes, Jean d'Avesnes (BNF Fr. 12572, fol. 119), third quarter of the 15th century
Feast at the house of Edward III, Chronicles of England (BNF Fr. 76, fol. 90), second half of the 15th century
Border, Froissart's Chronicles (BNF Fr. 2644, fol. 154v), second half of the 15th century
Feast at the house of Diodicias, Chronicles of England (BNF Fr. 2807, fol. 13), second half of the 15th century
Ball, Facta et dicta memorabilia (BNF Fr. 288, fol. 181v), second half of the 15th century
A dancing couple from an oven-tile, 15th century
Mirth and Gladness lead a dance, Roman de la Rose (Bodl. Douce 364, fol. 83), c. 1460

MORRIS DANCERS
See also Morris Before the Restoration, The History of Morris Dancing, 1438-1750, “The Literary History of the English Morris Dance” (Folklore vol. 94, no. 2), or “The Morris Tune” (Journal of the American Musicological Society vol. 39, no. 2).

St. Josaphat, Speculum historiale (BNF Fr. 51, fol. 171), 1463
Morris Dance (The Morris Dancers) by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1475
Bridegroom and Fool from Erasmus Grasser’s statues of morris dancers in the feast-room of the Munich Rathaus, 1480; more images of the set: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Ornament with Dance of the Lovers by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1490
Ornament from the Strasburg Almanac, 1496
The Betley window, c. 1550-1621
An oak panel from Lancaster Castle, 16th century
Will Kemp, Kemps nine daies vvonder, performed in a daunce from London to Norwich; Containing the pleasure, paines and kinde entertainement of William Kemp betweene London and that Citty in his late Morrice, 1600
Detail from The Thames at Richmond, with the Old Royal Palace, c. 1620

Illustration for Psalm 80, showing David with musicians and dancing children, in a psalter (KB 131 F 18, fol. 86v), ca. 1465-1470
Lancelot at the Carole Magique, Lancelot du Lac (BNF Fr. 115, fol. 476), c. 1470
Noblemen and ladies dancing from a northern Rhenish illustration, c. 1475
Venus and her children, the Wolfegg Housebook, c. 1475-1485
A couple dances while St. Vitus renounces worldly pleasures in an altarpiece from Salzburg-Morzg, c. 1475-1485
Dancing, Der Renner (PML MS M.763, fol. 145v-146r), last quarter of the 15th century; musicians playing viol, bagpipe, and pipe & tabor sit on a bench and play for four dancing couples
Dancing peasants, wall painting by Albertus Pictor in Härkeberga church, Uppland, Sweden, c. 1480
Dancers from a mural at Zvíkov Castle, c. 1480-1500
Allegory of Fortune, Destiny, Happiness, and Misfortune in Le Trésor de Sapience (Musée Condé MS 146, fol. 49r), 15th century
Dancing shepherds, The Book of Hours of Charles d'Angouleme, late 15th century
Mural with dancers and the prince-electors (details 1, 2, and 3), at Zvikov, c. 1480-1500
Dance, Roman de la Rose (British Library, Harley 4425, fol. 14v), c. 1490-1500
The Dance at the Court of Herod/The Feast of Salomé by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1490-1500
A dance in Augsburg, c. 1490-1510; better details of the dancing couples here and here, and the musicians in the gallery
Illustration (Pisces) from the Torrani Hours (Musée Condé MS 83, fol. 3r), 1495
Men and women dancing, c. 1500
Ball with the Duke of Bavaria by Matthäus Zasinger, 1500
The ball at the palace of of Albrecht IV of Bavaria and his wife Cunegunda of Austria c. 1500
Peasants dancing in the outer wings of the Triptych of the Haywain by Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1500-1502
Tapestry: The Fair, c. 1501-1525
Dancers accompanied by a flute-player and drummer, Über Wunderzeichen (ÖNB 4417, fol. 19r), 1503
Peasants dancing in the background of the left wing of the Triptych of the Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1510
A couple and more dancers (accompanied by musicians on a balcony) while St. Vitus renounces worldly pleasures in an altarpiece from Innsbruck, c. 1510-1520
Fastnacht (Carnival) by Hieronymus Bosch
Carnival Dance, Luzerner Schilling chronicle (fol. 259r), 1513
Peasant Couple Dancing by Albrecht Dürer, 1514
The dance of the Magdalene by Lucas van Leyden, 1519
A bucolic scene of a peasant dance in the February section of the Augsburger Monatsbilder, 1520s
February, The Golf Book (British Library Add. 24098, fol. 19v), c. 1520-1530
Dancing peasants by Urs Graf, 1525
Peasants Merrymaking at a Village Kermesse by Hans van Wechlen, c. 1537
Detail from The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1546
Dance at the court of Henri III, second half of the 16th century
A circle dance at A Farmers' Fair by Martin van Cleve, c. 1550-1600 (?)
Detail from Melancolia in the Garden of Life by Matthias Gerung, 1558
The Egg Dance by Pieter Aertsen, 1557
Wedding Dance in the Open Air by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1566
The Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1568
A drawing of dancers, c. 1570
A wedding-dish, 1572
Tapestry depicting a ball held by Catherine de' Medici at the Tuileries Palace, Paris, in 1573
Peasant Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Rural Festival by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
The Wedding Dance by Jan Bruegel the Elder, 16th century
Village fair with theater and procession by Pieter Bruegel
Fête at Bermondsey by Joris Hoefnagel, 1569
The Peasant Wedding by Marten van Cleve
Masked ball at the castle of Vinzaglio, 16th century
Village fair, 16th century
A ball in Venice in 1580
Ball of the Duke of Joyeuse, fourth quarter of the 16th century
Ball at the Court of Valois, 16th century
A ball in Augsburg, c. 1590-1595 (details left, right, musicians in the balcony playing wind instruments, and a musician playing vielle); note the 15th century costumes interspersed among outfits more typical of the late 16th century
Village Festival by Gillis Mostaert
Farmers dancing by Hans van Wechelen
A ball by Franz Francken the Elder, late 16th century or early 17th century
A dance at the time of the Carnival by Jan Harmensz Muller, 16th-17th century
Dancers and musicians, Album of Johannes Cellarius (British Library MS Add. 27579, fol. 149v), c. 1600-1606
The Wedding Dance in a Barn by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, c. 1616
Village Fair attributed to Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Village Fair attributed to Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Village Fair by Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Farmers’ Fair by Pieter Bruegel the Younger
Background of The Peasants' Brawl by Pieter Brueghel the Younger
The Wedding Dance in a Barn by Pieter Brueghel the Younger

PERSIA