Dood van Seneca 1804

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman created this print of ‘The Death of Seneca’. Observe the central motif: Seneca in the act of suicide, the hot bath serving as his instrument. This echoes back to ancient rituals of purification and transition, seen in various cultures across time. The bath itself, a vessel filled with potential and peril, reminds us of the cyclical nature of life and death, of the subconscious desire to return to the womb to be cleansed. The image of Seneca immersed in a bath of warm water transcends mere historical depiction; it resurfaces in art history in various forms, from religious baptisms to metaphorical cleansings. Each reflects humanity's collective memory of transformation. This imagery speaks to our shared experience of death, of ending. The image evokes a deep, subconscious recognition of mortality's inevitable embrace. This echoes through time, connecting us to Seneca's final moments and the countless others who have faced the end.