To Each His Own Pastime, "Elck Sijn Tijt-Verdrijff"

Adriaen van de Venne

ca. 1632 (?) · Red chalk; verso: the design partially traced in red-brown chalk and wash · Drawings and Prints

Van de Venne excelled in many genres, but he is perhaps best remembered for his depictions of proverbs. In this interior scene, an elegant couple, attired in costly finery and waited upon by two servants, is engaged in a game of shuttlecock, which is normally played outdoors. The skeletal figure of Death emerges from behind the curtain, cautioning the observer that it is only a matter of time before these frivolous pleasures-also symbolized by the empty glass, the playing cards strewn about the floor, and the lute on the table-come to an abrupt end.

Artist

Adriaen van de Venne

Date

ca. 1632 (?)

Medium

Red chalk; verso: the design partially traced in red-brown chalk and wash

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, David T. Schiff Gift, 1994