Gamle kjerring 

This drawing by Theodor Kittelsen presents us with an old woman bent over as she walks. The image, stark and simple, evokes the universal archetype of aging and decline. Consider the stooped posture, a motif echoing through time, reminiscent of depictions of Hecate or ancient sibyls, figures burdened by age and wisdom. The way she bends forward, nearly consumed by the earth, is a powerful symbol of mortality. The simple rendering enhances the emotional weight, tapping into our collective anxieties about aging and the inevitable return to the earth. This image, though modest in execution, resonates with a profound, almost primordial fear. It mirrors the cyclical view of life—birth, decay, and rebirth—a theme deeply rooted in human consciousness.