Fabel van de oude man en de dood

An exhausted elderly man rests against a heavy bundle beneath a tree, gesturing with surprise and trepidation. A skeletal personification of Death stands before him, reaching out to touch his arm while holding an arrow in its raised hand. The scene captures the moment the man realizes that despite his heavy burdens, he is not yet ready to follow Death to the grave.

The artwork belongs to the Northern European tradition of moralizing fables and the memento mori motif, emphasizing the human struggle between the hardships of earthly life and the fear of the inevitable. Produced during Sadeler's tenure as court engraver to Rudolf II in Prague, it reflects the era's interest in emblematic imagery that combined classical literature with philosophical reflection on mortality.