Glasses in Vanitas painting

1
Glasses in Vanitas painting
The glass was an object often used in Dutch Still
Life painting with the amount of liquid in the
glass used as a symbol of time passing or the
approach of imminent death. Claesz revelled in
capturing the effects of light and the different
textures of objects through his varied handling
of paint.
Pieter ClaeszStill-life with Wine Glass and
Silver BowlOil on wood, 42 x 59 cm
2
Flowers in Vanitas Painting
Wilting flowers are often used in Vanitas
paintings to again symbolise the fact the death
is imminent in all life. Rare and foreign
flowers, sometimes from several continents at the
same time, were often painted in works that were
commissioned by wealthy families as they would be
symbols of the money and the connections the
owner had.
Clara Peeters "Still-Life with Flowers and
Goblets 1612.
3
Skulls in Vanitas painting
An extremely common symbol in Dutch still life is
skulls, which are a quickly understood reminder
of the certainty of death A human skull with
its large eye sockets displays a degree of
childlike appearance, which humans often find
visually appealing, in contrast to the usual
emotions that go with death. Therefore human
skulls often have a greater visual appeal than
the other bones of the human skeleton, and can
fascinate even as they repel.
Vanitas, Pieter Claesz