Tako Hajo Jelgersma was born in Harlingen, Frisia, on 24 October 1702. He was taught in Leeuwarden by the marine painter Wigerus Vitringa and also studied with the Haarlem-based artist and restorer Frans Decker. In 1752 Jelgersma permanently moved to Haarlem, where he worked and lived for the rest of his life. He painted mainly portraits and land- and seascapes and made a number of copies after the old masters. In addition, he was also active as a painter of interior decorations, producing grisailles in the style of Jacob de Wit. He taught a number of pupils, and died a bachelor in Haarlem at the ripe old age of 92. [1]

The present work is an interesting document in addition to being a charming work of art. According to the elaborate inscription the artist included with his signature, Jelgersma drew the sheet in Haarlem, on May 6, 1744. As he was recorded as living with his former master Frans Decker on the Bakenessergracht in 1745, this suggests he was already established in Haarlem at least a year earlier. 

First used by the Greek physician Hippocrates in his Aphorisms, the phrase 'Ars longa, vita brevis' was initially  intended to signify that skillfulness (in medicine) takes time and life is short. Over time, artists and authors adopted the aphorism, now imbued with another meaning: that works of art outlive their creators. In the present work, the  arts are represented by books, the hamer and chisel, the ruler and divider and the painter's palette. The putto blowing bubbles - indicating that the life of man is fleeting, like a soap bubble (homo bulla) - and seated atop a laureled skull stands for the brevity of life. 

Jelgersma seems to have strongly identified with the motto and with his mission as an artist, as the lengthy inscription attests: "Art is longlasting, but life is short [...] Tako Hajo Jelgersma, Frisian from Harlingen, Student and Lover of Painting of Haarlem, [made this on the] 6th of May 1744". As such, this work is not only a fine testament to his draughtsmanship, but it also gives us an interesting insight into the mind and mentality of the artist.

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[1] A.J. van der Aa, Biografisch Woordenboek der Nederlanden, part 9, Haarlem, 1860, pp. 138 - 139.