Ples mrtvaca u srednjem vijeku prikazivan je u mnogim sakralnim zdanjima, a neka čine važan dio kasnosrednjovjekovnog europskog likovnog nasljeđa. Možemo ga promatrati i kao izraz koji simbolički sjedinjuje svjetovno i religijsko, a tematski u sebi nosi poruku jednakosti među ljudima, neovisno o njihovu staležu. Srednjovjekovlje je obilježeno pandemijom kuge, nedaćama i ratovima, što utječe na kulturno stvaralaštvo. Različita istraživanja (arheološka, medicinska i dr.) proučavaju etiologiju Crne smrti, evoluciju razvoja, povijest, pojavu i širenje kuge u Europi tog doba. Pojedina literarna djela (De contemptu mundi; De miseria humane conditions Innocenta III.), artes morendi, memento mori (Hélinand de Froidmont, Les Vers de la Mort) koriste se kao predlošci za likovnu izvedbu teme plesa mrtvaca.; The Medieval Danse Macabre is depicted in many sacred buildings. Some of these works comprise an important part of the artistic legacy of Late–Medieval Europe. We may look upon the Danse Macabre as a form of artistic expression which symbolically unites the worldly and the religious and thematically puts forward the message of equality among people regardless of class. The Middle Ages are characterised by the cholera pandemic, adversity and war, all of which had an effect on cultural creativity. Various research (archeological, medical, etc.) explores the etiology of the Black Death, the development, history, appearance and spreading of the plague in Europe at that time. Certain literary works (De contemptu mundi; De miseria humane conditions Innocenta III.), artes morendi, memento mori (Hélinand de Froidmont, Les Vers de la Mort)avail themselves of Danse Macabre themes as a paradigm for artistic performances.