Bilder Jacob Cats (1577–1660) – Dialogue Between Death and an Old Man – Engraving (1655)

Beskrivning

This moralizing engraving depicts an encounter between a group of scholars or elderly men and the skeletal personification of Death, who leans out from a stone structure filled with skulls. The central scene is integrated into a printed page titled Tusscher de Dood en een Oud Man (Between Death and an Old Man) and is accompanied by a dramatic dialogue in Dutch between the characters "Dood" and "Oud Man." The composition serves as a memento mori, a traditional artistic reflection on the inevitability of death and the futility of earthly knowledge or status in the face of mortality. This work is characteristic of the emblem tradition of the Dutch Golden Age, designed to provide ethical and spiritual instruction through the interplay of provocative imagery and didactic verse.

Jacob Cats was a celebrated Dutch poet, jurist, and politician who earned the affectionate nickname Vader Cats (Father Cats) for his widely read moralistic writings. His emblem books, which paired intricate engravings with didactic poetry, were immensely popular across all levels of seventeenth-century Dutch society. Cats’ ability to distill complex theological and social lessons into accessible, everyday imagery made his work a cornerstone of the period's cultural and religious identity. His literary and visual legacy significantly influenced the domestic and ethical values of the Netherlands for generations.

Artist or Maker: Jacob Cats.

Dimensions: Approximately 39 cm x 25 cm.

Medium: Engraving.

Date: 1655.

Condition Report:
This work is in good condition overall. There may be a few minor imperfections or fox or mottled marks to be expected with age. Please review the images carefully for condition details, and feel free to contact us with any questions or for a comprehensive condition report.