This extraordinary hanging scroll by Yokoyama Seki (1793-1865) depicts the Yoro Waterfall in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture. In the 8th century, it was visited by the Empress Genso (reign: 715-724) and since then, the site has been venerated as a fountain of youth. Its waters are said to smooth the skin, darken the hair and sharpen eyesight. But in this painting, the waterfall is pushed into a corner, with the rest of the painting left empty except for small inscriptions at the lower left which reads “Facing the Yoro Waterfall by a 70-year man, Seki.” With this unusual composition, Seki reminds his viewers of the brevity of life, that no matter how powerful one has been, with time, everything eventually will fade away.