This stunning animated short features 75 hand-painted oil canvases that will blow your mind.

What’s the best way to counter the rise of AI-generated content? With stunning, human-crafted art that showcases innovative techniques, of course, and Hisko Hulsing nails it. This Dutch artist is a true Renaissance figure, excelling as a director, animator, composer, and painter. His latest project draws from a rich artistic tradition that harks back to the Late Middle Ages.

Danse Macabre is an animated short film set to debut on June 22 at the Annecy Film Festival. Inspired by the second movement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, the film features over 75 hand-painted oil canvases, brought to life through a blend of 2D and CG animation. A making-of video is available for those curious about the creative process. A brief trailer just dropped, and even at just one minute long, it’s enough to leave you in awe.

The term “danse macabre” (French for “dance of death”) refers to an artistic allegory that gained popularity during the Late Middle Ages. It illustrates death personified, calling forth individuals from various social classes to dance, often in graveyards. Likely influenced by the widespread diseases of the time, it served as a reminder of mortality for everyone, from peasants to royalty.

Hulsing modernizes this concept, depicting a legion of skeletal soldiers descending from the skies to unleash chaos upon the mortal realm. It evokes memories of The Triumph of Death, a renowned painting by 16th-century artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which portrays a similarly apocalyptic vision. Hulsing clearly draws inspiration from this artwork and other Late Middle Ages or Renaissance representations of death and the Final Judgment.

With an impressive body of work, Hulsing has directed and designed for notable projects, including the first season of the visually stunning sci-fi series Undone, the memorable bonus episode of Netflix’s The Sandman titled A Dream of a Thousand Cats, and his award-winning animated short film Junkyard.

As stated in the trailer description for Danse Macabre, “This was one hell of a complex production, but we are convinced that we made something extraordinary, something beautiful, intense and frightening at the same time.” It’s hard to argue with that sentiment.