Three Ages of Woman and Death and Its Hidden Hermetic Meaning
Painted by Hans Baldung around 1541, the Three Ages of Woman and death is a masterpiece of Hermetic Art. The artist is visibly a true hermetic and did in fact make sure that only those who were initiated into the secrets of the hermetic culture would be able to grasp the true meaning that he was trying to convey.
With Hermetic art, one does not look at the whole painting to grasp its meaning. The painting has to be ‘read’ generally from right to left and as you read the picture, you pick up the small and sometimes subtle symbolism that will be embedded into the painting.
In the painting above, we start at death. Firstly, we see death holding the veil that the beautiful woman has draped around her waist, which is the ‘veil of innocence’ as it is covering her modesty and when we follow the veil we see it covering the eyes of a child which is a typical representation of the innocence of a child, who is born into the world innocent and unknowing.
However, the child is not a female child as is thought, we can see that the child is male by noticing the hobby horse on the floor, which is a representation of the Knight and masculinity.
If we now look at the beautiful woman, at first glance it may look as though she is looking at herself in a mirror and seems to be completely oblivious to everything that is happening around her. But, if we look carefully, we will see that she is not holding a mirror, but an image of Saturn.
In the hermetic art of alchemy, Saturn represents the ‘slowing down’ of things. The qualities of Saturn are sluggish and lethargic.
To the left, there is an older person, who rushes into the painting, looking agitated and attempts to push away the ‘Sands of Time’ that is in death’s hand. Age is a general representation for wisdom, so in the painting, wisdom has come to the aid of the innocent.
Now, after having read the painting, we can step back and see it’s true meaning. The message Hans Buldung has for us is that death need not come so quickly, if at all. The idea of immortality is the theme of the painting.
Death has a hold of the veil and is keeping his eyes fixed on the timer. As the sands fall, so death is pulling the woman closer toward him with the veil and he knows when the last grain of sand has fallen, he has the woman in his embrace without her ever knowing how closely he was approaching throughout her life.
However, Saturn and Wisdom is thwarting death’s attempts as Saturn is ‘slowing down’ death’s approach and wisdom is pushing time away from her. Wisdom and Saturn is letting us know that death does not have to come so soon, if we choose it and if we hold the wisdom that keeps him at bay.
Because the little boy in the painting has the veil over his face, he cannot see the truth of his own immortality as he is innocent and lacking in wisdom. The apple that lies on the ground in front of him symbolises that death will surely come if the ‘veil of darkness’ is not removed.
The slightly amused look on the young woman’s face tells us that she holds this knowledge already and is bemused by the activity behind her.
The painting falls into the hermetic belief that the soul is immortal — that we are immortal but are blind to it — death is not the end, but a transition to somewhere else, or someone else through reincarnation. We are reminded that death comes but he stays not, as he can never touch the immortal soul.
I think this painting is a wonderful example of the hidden messaging within Hermetic art and the artist has executed his message brilliantly. That if we take the veil away from our face as ‘beauty’ has done, we will see this great truth.
