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], by French early 16th Century, ink, 1513](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-turn-back-when-you-arrive-at-the-end-fol-26-verso-27--e11e5d3478112a7e-w1024.webp)
"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.
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.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.”…
!["Do Not Eat Your Heart Out" [fol. 22 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-eat-your-heart-out-fol-22-recto--003887c9850175b9-w320.webp)
![The Calumny of Apelles [fol. 6 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--the-calumny-of-apelles-fol-6-recto--037fde9ac8dbd27b-w320.webp)
!["Do Not Make Water on Clippings from Nails or Hair" [fol. 30 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-make-water-on-clippings-from-nails-or-hair-fol-30-rec--03ca31c36e5a66b9-w320.webp)
!["You Are Tying a Dolphin by the Tail" [fol. 17 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--you-are-tying-a-dolphin-by-the-tail-fol-17-recto--0abe83abfb5ccd1d-w320.webp)
!["Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws" [fol. 38 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--feed-not-things-that-have-sharp-claws-fol-38-recto--1f28115410528631-w320.webp)
![A Courtier Standing Between Covetousness and Dissimulation [fol. 14 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--a-courtier-standing-between-covetousness-and-dissimulation-f--2578f4fe9846edc2-w320.webp)
![A Fool Feeding Flowers to Swine [fol. 42 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--a-fool-feeding-flowers-to-swine-fol-42-recto--27579a7c495e1682-w320.webp)
!["You Are Shooting at Heaven" [fol. 9 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--you-are-shooting-at-heaven-fol-9-recto--28e4ef6e8d8a696d-w320.webp)
!["Obliterate the Trace of the Pot in the Ashes" [fol. 32 verso / 33 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--obliterate-the-trace-of-the-pot-in-the-ashes-fol-32-verso-33--e808688d684304b0-w320.webp)
![Allegory of the Life of a Scholar in a Rich Household [fol. 3 verso / 4 recto], by French 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-16th-century--allegory-of-the-life-of-a-scholar-in-a-rich-household-fol-3--52df746155b443e5-w320.webp)
![A Dialogue on Human Favor (recto) [fol. 15 verso / 16 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--a-dialogue-on-human-favor-recto-fol-15-verso-16-recto--a4f1453e0385d8d6-w320.webp)


![The Triumphal Chariot of Maximilian I (The Great Triumphal Car) [plate 1 of 8], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--the-triumphal-chariot-of-maximilian-i-the-great-triumphal-ca--4840429519ebb12d-w320.webp)





