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The depiction of the three ages of life - childhood, adulthood and old age - is a traditional motif in art history, exploring the cycle of life and the transience of life. While in the Middle Ages and early modern period it was often religiously influenced, in modern times the theme has taken on a new, more personal and social meaning and interpretation.

An example of this is a work from the early 20th century by the German-Swiss artist Ottilie Roederstein, which depicts the three ages of life in male form. An important figure in modern painting, Roederstein was known for her portraits and psychologically profound depictions. Her paintings no longer focus on Christian symbolism or allegory, but on the individual.

The work shows a boy, a man and an old man, whose age is indicated only by their physiognomy and hair, not by typical objects or specific characteristics. Roederstein focuses on the individual, showing the universal human experience of ageing without overly typifying or glorifying it. In this way she brings the subject and the figures closer to the viewer, creating a timeless and modern interpretation of the traditional theme.

After training in Zurich, Berlin and Paris, Roederstein worked successfully as a freelance portrait painter in Frankfurt am Main. From 1909 she lived with her partner in the Taunus hills. Around 1912 she painted the three-quarter-length portrait of Mrs C. D. Kost, also on display, which was probably a commission. The sitter gave the painting to the museum in 1924. Roederstein's portrait shows an upper middle class woman dressed for a special occasion in a white dress, lace jacket and jewellery. She is holding freshly cut roses. She can probably be identified as Luisa Kost (1859-1940), née Neuhaus, from Elberfeld, who was married to Johann Casper David Kost (1849-1920). Not much is known about Kost, except that she was socially committed, active in the care of the poor and welfare work, and was president of the Elberfeld Women's Association.