Man wordt door de dood gehaald 1609 - 1659

"Man wordt door de dood gehaald" (Man is taken by Death), an anonymous etching dating from 1609-1659, portrays the stark reality of mortality. The skeletal figure of Death, armed with a bow and arrow, approaches a wealthy man, who is surrounded by earthly possessions, and a woman who is likely the man's wife or companion. The work, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, is a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the inevitable approach of death, regardless of one's material wealth.