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Old Age is the fourth in a series of allegorical oil-on-canvas paintings by American artist Thomas Cole, entitled The Voyage of Life, which represent man's journey through life. The final painting is an image of death. The man, still in his boat, has grown old, and the waters of the river have calmed as they flow into the sea of eternity. The figurehead and hourglass are missing from the battered boat; the withered old voyager has reached the end of earthly time. His guardian angel hovers close to the boat, while angels descend from heaven in the distance. The landscape is practically gone, with just a few rough rocks representing the edge of the earthly world, and dark water stretching ahead. This painting, along with the other three in the series, was painted in 1842 and is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.Painting credit: Thomas Cole