The Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos 1587 - 1591

This etching, “The Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos,” by Jan Muller, created between 1587 and 1591, depicts the three Fates, who in Roman mythology, controlled the threads of life. Clotho, spinning the thread of life, is shown on the left. Lachesis, measuring out the thread, is in the middle, and Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread, is on the right. The three Fates are depicted as naked figures, which was a common way of portraying them in art, and their poses are full of dynamism and energy. This intricate artwork, now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, captures the timeless and powerful concept of fate. The inscription on the bottom of the image reinforces the subject matter, describing the three Fates and their control over time and life.