Den trap des ouderdoms, des menschen leven 1806 - 1830

Johan Noman’s engraving presents the stages of life as a staircase, with figures ascending from infancy to old age. Each step represents a decade, marked by a corresponding age. Notice the owl perched on the tree to the right: an age-old symbol of wisdom, yet also of melancholy. The ladder-like structure reminds us of Jacob's Ladder, a symbol of spiritual ascent. But here, the ascent leads inevitably to decline and death, symbolized by the reclining figures at the bottom of the stairs. The presence of the angel alongside the dying suggests a transition, a journey from earthly existence to the divine. The cyclical nature of life and death, rebirth and renewal, mirrors the rhythms of nature itself. This image, like the phoenix rising from ashes, captures the eternal recurrence of life's drama. It is a visual manifestation of our collective memory and subconscious anxieties.