Death stares us in the face- as is evident in the above detail of an anonymous French painting. It is around every corner, with the threat to show up in an instant to breathe its icy breath down our necks and snatch our frail lives in its bony fingers. There is nothing we can do to stop it, and sooner or later it will consume each and every one of us.
This image is an example of vanitas, coming from the Latin for “emptiness,” and was a popular theme for painters particularly in Northern Europe during the 17th century. This was a time when the still life was becoming a favorite genre and was no longer considered a low art. Caravaggio said that a well portrayed bowl of fruit is as difficult to paint as a person. This was also a time when many painters preferred to depict scenes of pleasure and leisure. Hence the reaction of the rise of vanitas still lifes.
Vanitas paintings show how vain humanity is. A typical object is the skull, frequently juxtaposed against symbols of human pleasures such as musical instruments. The skull above is a particularly powerful statement as it looks in the mirror with black sockets, searching for meaning- searching for anything. It is a warning of the transience of all life.
It is surrounded by games such as chess and cards. Isn’t life a game or a gamble? We see objects of worldly pursuits such as the sword and money purse with coins, books to represent our thirst for knowledge, tulips to show some hint of our vitality. And yet, no viewer can escape the ominous skull. It is a motionless and unforgiving reminder that all human aspirations, hopes, and dreams eventually lead to the grave. We will all end up as dust. The orange will rot, the tulips will wilt.
Memento mori- Remember that you are mortal.
See also Death and Art, Triumph of Death, and Anamorphic Perspective
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