Old Age and Death, from "The Course of Human Life"
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 8 3/4 × 11 7/8 in. (22.3 × 30.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.872(6)
Art Historical Context
"Old Age and Death" is a poignant engraving from the series *The Course of Human Life*, created in 1570 by Flemish artist Jan van der Straet, known as Stradanus, with involvement from engraver Pieter Jalhea Furnius and publisher Hieronymus Cock. This work captures the final stages of existence, likely depicting frail elders confronting mortality amid symbolic elements of decay and inevitability. Stradanus, who spent much of his career in Renaissance Florence under Medici patronage, blended Northern precision with Italian Mannerist elegance, making his designs ideal for reproductive prints. As...
About the Artist
Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus|Pieter Jalhea Furnius|Hieronymus Cock · 1523–1605
Jan van der Straet, known as Stradanus or Giovanni Stradano, was born in Bruges in 1523 into an artistic family. He received his earliest training in his father Jan van der Straet's painting workshop until the latter's death in 1535, followed by an apprenticeship with Bruges master Maximiliaen Francken from 1535 to 1537. Stradanus then moved to Antwerp, studying under Pieter Aertsen from 1537 to 1...