Boy sleeping on a Skull 1621 - 1686

Pieter Moninckx's *Boy Sleeping on a Skull* (1621-1686) is an oil painting on canvas that depicts a young boy asleep with his head resting on a human skull. The skull is a memento mori, a reminder of death, and the boy's peaceful slumber is a contrast to the inevitability of mortality. The painting is housed at the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst and is a striking example of Dutch Golden Age art. The inclusion of an hourglass in the background further emphasizes the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life.