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.
Elsewhere on this site, there are linkspages with musicians, Renaissance dancers, morris dancers, Persian dancers, etc.
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.
- 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 woman dancing, a tonary (British Library Harley 4951, fol. 300v), last quarter of the 13th century or first quarter of the 14th century
- Two leaping dancers, a bible (Auct. D. 3. 2, fol. 238r), end of the 13th century
- Dancing the carole, Le roman de la rose (Add. A. 22, fol. 15r), c. 1300
- A man dances while wearing a crown of leaves, psalter (Auct. D. 4. 3, fol. 2v), c. 1300
- A couple dancing, wearing wreaths of flowers in their hair, a volume of trouvère poetry (Douce 308, fol. 210c recto), first quarter of the 14th century
- Fols. 31r, 38r, 104v, 112r, 115r, 233v, 234r, the Maastricht Hours (Brit. Lib. Stowe 17), 1st quarter of the 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
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Dancing musicians playing mandora and rebec (fol. 174r),
a man plays mandora for four male dancers (fol. 189r),
a tabor-drummer and a dancing bagpiper (fol. 197r),
the Queen Mary Psalter (Brit. Lib. MS Royal 2 B VII), c. 1310-1320
- David dances before the Ark, Bible historiale (BNF Fr. 8, fol. 138), c. 1320-1330
- Dancing girls on fols. 29v and 216r, psalter (Douce 5), c. 1320-1330
- Dancing girls on fols. 1r, 64r, and 129v, psalter (Douce 6), c. 1320-1330
- Dancing men (note alternating colored clothing), the Luttrell Psalter (British Library Add. 42130, fol. 164v), c. 1325-1340
- 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, 97v, 106r, 110r, 129r, 172r, 172v, 175r, and 181v
- Christ watches people dancing, Franciscan missal (Douce 313, fol. 164v), middle of the 14th century
- 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
- Dancing at the Court of Mirth, Le roman de la rose (Douce 371, fol. 6r), c. 1400
- 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
- Dancing courtiers greet David, Speculum humanae salvationis (Douce 204, fol. 15v), c. 1430-1450
- Shepherds dancing at the Nativity, a book of hours (Douce 93, fol. 28r), middle of the 15th century
- 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
- 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
- Fols. 145v and 146r, Der Renner (PML M.763), 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 at the Annunciation, the Hours of Charles d’Angoulême (BNF Latin 1173, fol. 20v), c. 1475-1500
- 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 by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1490-1500
- Dancing in the garden, Le roman de la rose (Douce 195, fol. 7r), end of the 15th century
Click here to see 16th century dancers!
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