De koopman en de Dood 1651

"De koopman en de Dood" (The Merchant and Death), an etching by Wenceslaus Hollar from 1651, depicts a merchant being confronted by Death, personified as a skeletal figure, while he is surrounded by his worldly possessions. The scene is set on a ship, with a view of the sea and distant sails in the background. Hollar's intricate detail and skillful use of light and shadow bring the dramatic encounter between the merchant and Death to life, illustrating the fragility of human life and the inevitable power of death. The inscription at the bottom of the etching, "Qui congregat thesauros lingua men dacit vanus & excor elt, & impingetur ad laqueos mortis" (Proverbs 21), further reinforces the theme of the dangers of greed and the inevitability of death. This artwork is a powerful reminder of the transient nature of wealth and the ultimate futility of material possessions.