The Infancy (The Seven Ages of Man), Act II Sc. VII (As You Like İt)

Description

This engraving references William Shakespeare's famous "The Seven Ages of Man" monologue from his pastoral comedy, As You Like It. Beginning with Shakespeare's words, "All the world's a stage," this passage depicts human life in seven stages from birth to death: infancy, childhood, youth in love, military service, judicial service, old age, and finally, the "second childhood" that comes with infirmity. This engraving allegorically represents the first stage in the monologue, "infancy." At the center of the composition is the figure of a mother holding a baby. As a source of love and affection, the mother protects the baby. A kneeling woman swings a bell at the child. The father, seated on the right, leans on the handle of his rifle, which hangs next to his hunting horn, and gazes lovingly at the landscape. The relief of a putto next to the cradle emphasizes both innocence and the mortality of humankind that begins with birth. The scene's encirclement of flowering branches suggests that infancy corresponds to the beginning of the natural cycle. The engraving visualizes not only the beginning of individual life but also the first act of Shakespeare's philosophical vision in which he presents all of human life as a "stage play."