De mens op honderdjarige leeftijd c. 1725 - 1730

Christian Philipp Lindemann created this print, "De mens op honderdjarige leeftijd", sometime in the first half of the 18th century. It shows a person on their deathbed being attended to by family and what looks like a priest. Scenes of death and mourning like this were very common in Northern European art at the time. The presence of a priest suggests the importance of religious rituals in dealing with death. But why show someone at 100 years old? Perhaps it reflects societal values around aging and longevity, or maybe comments on the era's healthcare. The text accompanying the image is in both Latin and Dutch. It is likely this image was originally printed in a book. Looking at the publishing history of such books would tell us about the intended audience for this image. As historians, we look at the social conditions in which art is made, connecting the image to the culture of its time. We can then consider whether it reinforced or challenged prevailing attitudes.