Death and the maiden trope

Death and the Maiden (1512) – Niklaus Manuel Deutsch
Image sourced here.

In the frescoe of Berne, a skeleton kisses the virgin on her cheek and grabs her full breasts.
Image sourced here.

Death and Woman (1517) – Hans Baldung Grien

 

A maiden is a female virgin (though originally it referred to males as well), or to any young woman.

This theme [death and the maiden] has a multi-faceted past. It is rooted in very old mythological traditions: among the ancient Greeks, the abduction of Persephone (Proserpine among the Romans) by Hades (Pluto), god of Hell, is a clear prefiguration of the clash between Eros and Thanatos. The young goddess gathered flowers in company of carefree nymphs when she saw a pretty narcissus and plucked it. At that moment, the ground opened; Hades came out of the underworld and abducted Persephone. — http://www.lamortdanslart.com/fille/maiden.htm