De poppen-kast / Zesde en laatste stuk. Janklaassen en de dood c. 1843 - 1920

This lithograph presents us with a sequence starring Janklaassen and Death, laden with potent symbols. The harlequin, Janklaassen, engages with the grim reaper, capturing a dance between life's folly and its inevitable end. The harlequin is a figure whose roots lie in the ancient world, a symbol of wit, chaos, and adaptability. He is related to the trickster archetype. The image of the skeleton as death is an ancient one, appearing across cultures from medieval morality plays to modern-day celebrations. Think of the Danse Macabre, where Death leads all in a dance. Here, the skeleton is Janklaassen's counterpart, a reminder of our mortality. Observe, too, the donkey-like devil. The donkey has been associated with the demonic since the Middle Ages, often depicted as a steed for devils or a symbol of ignorance and stubbornness. These symbols engage us on a subconscious level, stirring deep-seated anxieties about mortality and the unknown. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.