Adulthood (Evening) from The Four Ages of Man and Death with the Last Judgment
Medium
Engraving; state before Hollstein's first state of two (before astrological symbols added to the flag on left)
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 15/16 x 12 5/8 in. (22.7 x 32 cm) Plate: 8 11/16 x 12 3/16 in. (22 x 31 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.934.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Adulthood (Evening)" is a striking engraving from the series *The Four Ages of Man and Death with the Last*, created before 1619 by Flemish artists Hieronymus Wierix, a master engraver, and Ambrosius Francken I, likely the designer. Produced in Antwerp during the vibrant Northern Renaissance transitioning to Baroque, this print captures the allegorical theme of human life stages, with adulthood symbolized as evening—a time of maturity tinged with impending decline. The rare early state, before astrological symbols were added to the flag on the left (as noted in Hollstein's catalog), makes it ...