Vergankelijkheid 1529 - 1610

"Vergankelijkheid" (meaning "transience") is a 16th-century engraving by an anonymous artist, now housed in the Rijksmuseum. The artwork depicts a nude woman holding an hourglass, a symbol of time's passage, while a skull at her feet reminds viewers of mortality. The inscription "RES PICE FINEM" above her head emphasizes the importance of contemplating death. This print exemplifies the Dutch tradition of "Vanitas," a genre focused on the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures and the inevitability of death.