The western economy especially the EU seems to me like a house of cards which is falling down with politicians/central banks standing around it trying to catch the cards as they fall. I am by no means an expert on the subject but it does feel like any second now it could all unravel and the once prosperes west will no longer enjoy the rein it has had for so long. Having taken this for granted for a life time makes it naturally hard to believe but it is certainly not impossibility.

All great things come to an end and all empires fall and such all great divergence between civilisation get closed. China, South America and other emerging markets are growing at astronomical rates as the west is moving backward.

Thomas Cole was an American artist in the 19 hundreds who drew a series of paintings to illustrate the rise and fall of empires. The idea of creating ‘life cycle’ paintings became quite popular with other series like the Voyage of life. Below is a series of five paintings called: The Course of Empires.

There must be a fair bit of contemporary art out there now that expresses the notion perhaps not as directly but still an expression of the change that is happening. It would be interesting to see if there are any stark contrasts between art coming out of the emerging markets and waining western markets, please share your thoughts? Perhaps I will make this a little project!

(Birth starts at the left and final death is on the right.)