Allegory of Transience 1673 - 1732

This etching by Dutch artist Arnoud van Halen, titled *Allegory of Transience*, is a self-portrait from the early 18th century. Van Halen is portrayed in the center of the composition holding a paintbrush and palette. In the background, various symbolic objects evoke the fleeting nature of life, such as a vase of flowers, a sculpture of a winged figure, and a curtain. This image, likely created as a memento mori, is typical of the Baroque era's fascination with mortality and the passage of time.