Where can I see "Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto]?

"Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is "Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto]?

"Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto] is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

"Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto]

"Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" [fol. 26 verso / 27 recto] is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist French early 16th Century. It dates from 1513 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Inscribed in pen and brown ink on the house at upper left: Domus Hominis Prudentis..; the figures standing at left labeled: Cupiditas Vite, Medicus, and Pharmacopehela; the woman with a spear at center labeled: Ratio; inscribed in the wheels on the cart on which she stands; Vir and Prudens; on the chariot at upper right: Saturnus; on the coffin-shaped cart at right center: Finis Vite; and on the chariot at lower right: Mars

About this work

Overview

"Do Not Turn Back When You Arrive at the End" is a symbolic drawing executed on two joined sheets of laid paper, rendered in pen and brown ink with watercolor. The work presents a narrative across two sides, juxtaposing contrasting scenes that explore themes of life, wisdom, and mortality.

Subject & Meaning

The left side depicts three men outside a house labeled with concepts like Ratio (Reason) and Medicus (Healer), suggesting a realm of wisdom or intellectual pursuit. In contrast, the right side shows a dark, monster-drawn chariot approaching a skeleton marked Finis Vitae (End of Life), observed by a crow. These elements symbolize the inevitability of death and the journey through life.

Technique & Style

The drawing combines pen and brown ink for detailed linework with watercolor, achieving a balance between precision and expressive color. The use of symbolism and the narrative split across two pages reflect a style reminiscent of Renaissance illustrative traditions, where visual elements conveyed deeper moral or philosophical messages.

Context

This work aligns with Renaissance artistic practices that employed symbolism to convey moral and philosophical lessons. The strategic placement of words and figures as 'clues' for interpretation further situates it within a tradition of visually rich, intellectually engaging art.

Legacy

While specific legacy details of this piece are not provided, its themes and stylistic elements contribute to a broader understanding of how Renaissance and Renaissance-inspired art used symbolism to engage viewers with universal themes of life, death, and the pursuit of wisdom.

"Obliterate the Trace of the Pot in the Ashes" [fol. 32 verso / 33 recto], French early 16th Century

Artist & collection

Artist

French early 16th Century

A French draftsman from the early 1500s filled sheets of laid paper with tiny, sharp-tongued instructions, ink sketches paired with warnings like “Do Not Eat Your Heart Out” or “Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws.”…