Trap des ouderdoms 18th century

"Trap des ouderdoms" (Stairway of Old Age) is an 18th-century engraving by the Monogrammist B.T.F., currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. This allegorical illustration depicts the stages of life as a series of steps ascending towards death, each marked with a numbered age from 10 to 100. Each step is personified with an individual, illustrating the activities and attributes associated with each age, while a series of moralizing verses, mostly in Spanish, provide commentary on the journey of life. The image highlights the inevitability of death and emphasizes the need for preparation, making this a visually striking and thought-provoking memento mori.