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

French early 16th Century

National Gallery of Art

This is a drawing of an allegorical medieval theme. The artwork depicts a scene filled with symbolism. On the left side, a house labeled "Domus Hominis Prudentis" (House of the Wise Man) is shown, with figures labeled as "Cupiditas Vitæ," "Medicus," "Pharmacopoia," and "Ratio." The right side features mythical figures such as "Vir," "Prudes," and "Finis Vitæ." This side includes a mythical creature, a somber figure in a chariot, a figure labeled "Saturnus," and an armored knight labeled "Mars."