In ancient and medieval thought, there were many different ways of seeing the human lifespan (Curriculum vitae) and assessing its individual phases. From the 13th century on, a figure of thought came to the fore that interpreted the life cycle as an ascending and descending movement. The culmination, at which individuals come closest to the peak of perfection, is therefore reached in the middle of life. In 1540 Jörg Breu the Younger and Cornelis Anthonisz in Amsterdam brought out woodcuts [3. 26]; [2. 19] that visualized this concept in the form of a double set of steps: four…