In the fresco of St. Notice that the socially most important people, the clergymen as well as the laymen, are closest to Christ. So Death always stares straight at the onlooker who walks in the same direction as the characters of the painting. The onlooker himself is thus integrated into the dance of death. This illusion must have made a strong impression on the people of the Middle Ages.
Death forms a couple with each character.
He does not look like the usual skeleton or putrefying body, but like a very thin man. We can see the bones under his skin. This emphasizes the idea that all men are equal, and that they all should learn humility. Although the bulk of the text remains, some lines are so washed out nowadays that they have become illegible. All rights reserved 1998 Patrick Pollefeys for the text.