National Gallery of Art · Print
Allegory of Transience ("Homo Bulla")
Hendrik Goltzius
- Date
- 1594
- Medium
- engraving on laid paper
- Dimensions
- plate: 21.2 x 15.6 cm (8 3/8 x 6 1/8 in.) sheet: 26.5 x 19.4 cm (10 7/16 x 7 5/8 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2000.55.1
- Credit line
- Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
- Time span
- 1551 to 1600
- Department
- CG-E
Subjects and terms
- Dutch
- allegory
- Child
- engraving
- Vanitas
Provenance
(David Tunick, Inc., New York); purchased 2000 by NGA.
Inscription
lower center in plate: QUIS EVADET?; lower right in image: HG (in monogram) 1594; lower center in plate: Flos nouus, et verna fragrans argenteus aura / Marcescit subitò, perit, ali, perit illa venustas. / Sic et vita hominum iam nunc nascentibus, eheu, / Instar abit bullae vaniq. elapsa vaporis.; lower right in plate: F. Estius.
Watermarks
Strasbourg bend (similar to Briquet 7214)
NGA object ID 112263. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.