Oude vrouw bij kaarslicht after 1645

"Oude vrouw bij kaarslicht," an etching after 1645 by an anonymous artist, depicts an elderly woman holding a candle in a dimly lit room. The woman's wrinkled face and frail hands are illuminated by the candle's soft glow, while the surrounding darkness is punctuated by a skull and an hourglass, serving as powerful reminders of mortality. This print exemplifies the popular "vanitas" genre, which flourished in the 17th century, using symbolic objects to reflect on the fleeting nature of life.