Death Surprising a Young Couple, Jan van de Velde (II), c. 1610 - c. 1650
etching, h 194mm × w 152mm More details
A sumptuously attired couple enjoy food, drink, and luxury objects. Death appears behind them, holding a winged hourglass as a warning about the brevity of life. The withered flowers on the ground, too, symbolize transience. Young couples overtaken by Death was a popular theme in the 16th and 17th century, when life was shorter and death always around the corner.
