The Slaughtered Ox

The central motif in Marten van Cleve’s painting is a gutted ox. Here the artist takes an image reminiscent of a still life and uses it to create a symbol of death and the transitoriness of life. The symbolism is further strengthened by the motifs that are arranged around the ox. The child playing with an inflated bladder is a reference to the brevity of life; the greedy dog and the drinking butcher suggest the pointlessness of a life devoted exclusively to earthly pleasures.