The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 17, March, 1859 A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

"The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 17, March, 1859" by Various is a magazine that captures life in the 1850s. It blends essays, articles, and stories to discuss art, politics, and what was happening in society. It starts by talking about the Dance of Death, an artistic idea showing that death comes for everyone, no matter who they are. This part introduces Bâle, Switzerland, where a Dance of Death painting appeared during a plague and church meeting. The town’s mix of cultures, history, and important people like artist Hans Holbein are described. The magazine looks at what the Dance means as art and as a moral lesson, talking about death's place in life and Holbein's new ideas about death in art.