1506 / Philips de Schoone neemt een koelen dronk en sterft 1893 - 1895

Johan Huizinga created this drawing, “1506/Philips de Schoone neemt een koelen dronk en sterft,” which translates to “Phillip the Handsome Takes a Cool Drink and Dies,” sometime in the early 20th century. Huizinga was a Dutch historian known for his cultural history of the late Middle Ages, "The Autumn of the Middle Ages." In this piece, Huizinga depicts the final moments of Philip I of Castile, also known as Philip the Handsome. His death at the young age of 28 triggered a series of political events that shaped Europe. The drawing seems to capture not just a historical event, but the end of an era. Huizinga draws out the tension between the personal tragedy of a young ruler’s death and its broad political consequences. This work invites us to reflect on the precariousness of life and the weight of historical events. The artist seems to meditate on the end of life and on how one’s identity is intertwined with the grand movements of history.