The Triumph of Time

published 1574

Philip Galle after Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Associated Names
Philip Galle

Artist, Netherlandish, 1537 - 1612

Philip Galle

Publisher, Netherlandish, 1537 - 1612

Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Artist After, Netherlandish, c. 1525/1530 - 1569

This print shows several people and animals in a complex landscape. In the center, a man in a tunic is seated on an hourglass on top of a chariot, looking over his shoulder to the left. In one hand he holds a child up to his mouth, and in the other he holds a thin hoop made of a snake eating its own tail. He has a boot on one foot, while the other is bare. He is surrounded by a circle containing the twelve symbols of the zodiac, some hanging from a tree that grows out of the circle. On the left, there is an angelic figure blowing a horn atop an elephant, and a skeleton with a scythe rides a donkey nearby. On the right, two horses drag the chariot, one with the shape of the sun on its back and the other with a crescent moon. The background includes a detailed landscape with thin trees, hills, a body of water, and buildings, including a church steeple and windmills. The ground beneath the procession is littered with objects such as pieces of armor, tools, instruments, books, chests, and clothes. Below the print are several lines of text.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    plate: 21.2 x 30.1 cm (8 3/8 x 11 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 28.4 x 37.1 cm (11 3/16 x 14 5/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1964.8.422

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. 364, State i/iii


Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1965

  • Drolleries and Demons: Six Centuries of 'Fantastic' Prints, IBM Gallery, New York, NY, 1965, no. 17.

1989

  • Image and Word, Elizabeth Myers Mitchell Art Gallery, St. John's College, Annapolis, MD, 1989.

Bibliography

1908

  • Bastelaer, Rene van. Les estampes de Peter Bruegel l'ancien. Brussels: G. van Oest et Cie, 1908.

1993

  • The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts, 1450-1700. (Philips Galle, Manfred Sellink and Marjolein Leesberg, authors). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. 364, state i/iii.

Wikidata ID

Q65511553

You may be interested in

Loading Results