Trap des ouderdoms 1856 - 1900

"Trap des ouderdoms" (Stairway of Old Age), created between 1856 and 1900, is a colorful allegorical print by Dirk van Lubeek (1747-1811). The print depicts a staircase representing the stages of life, with figures representing different ages ascending from a cradle at the bottom to a grave at the top. It is a reminder of the brevity of life and the inevitability of death, with the scythe-wielding figure of Death ominously presiding over the scene. The text in Dutch adds to the allegorical nature of the piece, highlighting the moral and spiritual implications of life's journey. This print, now in the Rijksmuseum, exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with memento mori themes.