Het levensrad 1558

This is ‘The Wheel of Life’ a 16th-century engraving with striking color washes by the artist known only as Monogrammist AI. Dominating the composition is a large wheel, rendered with detailed precision, divided into segments representing stages of life. Figures are placed along its circumference—childhood, youth, adulthood, old age. Each is meticulously drawn, with attention to costume and posture, capturing the transience of human existence. Above, the artist juxtaposes earthly existence with the divine. Christ in the upper register is balanced by the figure of Death at the center. These elements, combined with the symbolic wheel, reflect a structural duality between the temporal and the eternal. Note how the artist uses strong contrasts—the vibrancy of life against the starkness of death—to underscore the fleeting nature of human life. This dynamic arrangement invites reflection on our place within the grand, cyclical structure of existence. 'The Wheel of Life’ serves not only as a moral reminder, but also as a profound exploration of the human condition.