Allegorie op de levensfases van de mens 1693 - 1710

Bernard Picart's *Allegorie op de levensfases van de mens* (1693-1710) is an etching and engraving that allegorically portrays the stages of human life. The image shows five figures, representing different ages, dancing in a circle. The figures are accompanied by symbols of death and eternity, such as a winged figure playing a lyre and a bust of a deceased person. The scene is set against a backdrop of rolling hills and a cloudy sky. The artwork exemplifies the 17th and 18th centuries' fascination with allegory and symbolism, reflecting the Baroque period's preoccupation with human mortality and the passage of time. The work can be seen as a meditation on the fleeting nature of life and the ultimate triumph of death, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life, from birth to death and rebirth.