The cool light illuminates a large skull and femur on the table, softly modeling their smooth, curved shapes. c. 1650. The objects in this painting all point to the finiteness of human existence. Godfriedt van Bochoutt - Still life of chestnuts, smoking utensils and a glass of wine on a table.jpg. Meanwhile, the African servant, monkey and grey parrot represent the exotic: symbols of status collected from distant locations, some pictured on the globe at the right of the composition. Most often, this was depicted through the inclusion of a skull, but other objects such as wilting flowers, burning candles, and soap bubbles achieved the same effect. Based on technical analysis, an even glaze of cochineal mixed with a large proportion of chalk was applied to the lobster, save one claw (which was preserved for comparison). The motifs that were used to portray wealth included gold, purses, and jewelry, while those used to describe knowledge incorporated books, maps, and pens. Please contact the Johnson Museum with any questions regarding OMNIA . With stops at various German courts, he finally returned to Leiden in 1613 where he would live and work for the rest of his life. Books, whose physical permanence can transcend the span of a human life, often suggest associations with scholarly and creative achievements. . The sheet of paper can be translated to read With no shield to save you from death, live until you die;Barthel Bruyn the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. 3). "Vanitas Still Life with African Servant.". 1) Typical for the period, the canvas was sized with rabbit skin glue and primed with a mixture of lead white, chalk and drying oil. This image is in the public domain. Lobster replaces herring, imported wine is on offer instead of beer. "Vanitas Still Life with African Servant." Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617), Homo Bulla (1594), engraving, 21.3 x 15.7 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Check back for details on upcoming exhibitions. Yet another curious detail is the phantom oval-framed female portrait that shines through behind the flute glass: most probably an overpainted early portrait of Baillys wife. The paint was applied with a small bristle brush and blended with a dry sable brush. Dutch painter Willem Claesz was known for his innovation in his still-life depictions, which he painted exclusively throughout his career. Vanitas artworks came about during a time of great religious tension in Europe, as it emerged as a defender of the Protestant mission of introspection. His Allegory ofthe Vanities of the Worldis thought to be a masterpiece of the Vanitas genre, due to its attention to detail and unusually large size. However, among his contemporaries he was well known as a talented portrait painter and an influential graphic artist. In this painting, Van Daellen has placed the still life behind an illusionistic archway, creating an intimate interior and suggesting the kind of secluded study in which this small painting may have hung. Create an account to get started. Heda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Despite incorporating elements of still life, Vanitas paintings differ greatly due to them being very symbolic. As with the modern depictions of Vanitas artworks that exist today, the message of the genre remains the same: This is the only life we are given, so do not let it pass you by before you are able to enjoy it to the fullest. This stark reminder of impermanence was demonstrated by different Vanitas paintings through the inclusion of certain objects. Vanitas reminded individuals that despite the appeal of worldly things, they remained ephemeral and inadequate in relation to God. Under magnification, this layer appears as small islands of paint particles that allow the paper support to show through. Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden is currently hosting an exhibition devoted to David Bailly (c.1584-1657), which also addresses the vanitas theme in his work and that of his contemporaries. Enter or exit from Constitution Avenue, Madison Drive, and 4th Street. However, a Vanitas still life painting made use of these objects traditionally found in a still life in order to emphasize a completely different idea. image rights and reproduction. The term "vanitas" is Latin in origin and means "empty/vain" or . (From A Handbook of the Collection: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art," 1998), 2020 Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Laborers Loading Peat from a Barge on to a Wagon, Ukuje Wakaku Keiseki Imayoo Hino Evening Entertainment at the Residence of a Samurai Family, Untitled, from the portfolio, Holocaust Archives, International Tracing Service, Bad Arolsen, Germany, Tercentenary of the Purchase of Manhattan Island Medal. As Geoffrey Whitney warns his readers, amassing huge numbers of books, and even perusing them at length, is a vain endeavor if the wisdom printed on the page is not applied to ones daily life. The most obvious reason for the exhibition in Leiden is David Baillys famous large Vanitas Still Life with Portrait of a Young Painter of 1651 (Fig. David Bailly (c.1584-1657), after Frans Hals (c.1582/3-1666), The Lute Player (1626), pen and brush on paper, 21.7 x 17.2 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. At a time of great mercantile wealth and frequent military conflict, these paintings, known as vanitas, were ripe with symbolic objects intended to emphasize the transience of life, the futility of earthly pleasure, and the pointless quest for power and glory. Another important symbol that was used in both categories was the inclusion of hourglasses, open pocket watches, and clocks, which indicated the passing of time. However, upon closer inspection, a skull, hourglass, and burning candle can be seen in the background. The message basically implores individuals to live in the moments of life while they can, as time passes so quickly and before they know it, death will be upon them. Create an account to save content, highlights, and notes to your personal bookshelf. West Building (1650). A closer examination of the artworks revealed the heightened skill and devotion of artists, as they highlighted objects of the viewers life in an attempt to make the painting as relevant and applicable as possible. In addition to being popular throughout its time, Vanitas has continued to influence some of the artworks that are currently seen in post-modern artistic society. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The paper support is covered with an extremely thin, dark, blackish brown layer applied overall. Thus, the brevity of human life and the ability of man to rise above death comes across as a strong theme. In these reminders of mortality, skulls or death figures were used either as primary subjects or elements in portraits, images of saints, and allegorical scenes. Time flies, dubious honor, death, and black.;Cornelis Galle the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Vanitas was an art form that began in the 16th and 17th centuries, which existed as a symbolic type of artwork that demonstrated the temporality and futility of life and pleasure. As the aim of Vanitas paintings was to demonstrate both the futility of worldly pursuits and the certainty of death, two types of painting styles existed. Notably significant as a Vanitas artist, Collier was only 21 years old when he painted this work, demonstrating the great artistic talent he possessed. Sign in to access your Bookshelf of saved content. We welcome contributions on a range of topics related to monuments and commemoration. Leiden boasted an internationally renowned theological university, as well as a branch of the Plantin publishing house, both of which may have made books an especially evocative subject for that citys viewers. 2) All pigments were ground on a glass plate in a linseed-based lead oil. A tracing of the original painting was transferred to the copy canvas with white chalk. Eventually, these warnings evolved into a genre of their own and became featured works of art. Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts - Vanitas still life with a skull, sheet music, violin, globe, candle Viewed as a signature artistic style of Dutch art, a number of artists became well-known for their Vanitas artworks. These characteristics centered around the themes and motifs that were explored in each artwork, which are discussed below. Hamilton Kerr Institute Mill Lane Whittlesford CB22 4NE telephone: +44 (0)1223 832 040, How the Web. Originating in the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th centuries, Vanitas became a very widespread type of Dutch master painting. Ink. Private collection, United States; (sale, Bonhams, New York, 6 November 2013, no. The fly on the forehead stands for the persistence with which death pursues us. The identity of this man is unknown, but the same face also occurs in a Still Life of a Market with Fish and Figures of c.1640-50 (whereabouts unknown) by Harmen Steenwijck (c.1612-after 1656), who was actually Baillys nephew and apprenticed to him in 1628. Things that became commonplace within these paintings were worldly objects such as books and wine, which were placed next to meaningful symbols like skulls, shriveling flowers, and hourglasses. 4), which together with the flute on the table suggests youthful merrymaking. In addition to the decay of life that is depicted, the ripe fruit and colorful flowers appear to be at the point of bursting and invite viewers to touch them before their inevitable decay. The varnish is thick, glossy, and mildly discolored. The Knights Dream (c. 1650) by Antonio de Pereda, wherea seventeenth-century gentleman, dressed in the clothing of the time, sits asleep while an angel shows him the ephemeral nature of pleasures, riches, honors, and glory. . Whitney paired this emblem with a second one that depicts a table bearing an hourglass, a candle, and an open tome [fig. The inclusion of two ideas forming around the central theme of decay depicts the spiritual significance that exists in this painting. Pure cochineal was added to several other areas of the painting, all of which demonstrate some level of fading or discoloration, such as the tablecloth beneath the still-life, the gray parrots tail feathers and the little girls hair ribbons. We are closed on December 25 and January 1. . Find the link to the A&AePortal for your library. Mount Holyoke College Art Museum50 College Street, South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075-1499413.538.2245Access & Inclusion |Copyright restrictions: All images are provided for educational purposes only and cannot be reproduced without permission. Another sub-genre of memento mori art is called vanitas. Image: 35 x 45 inches (88.9 x 114.3 cm); How Memento Mori and Vanitas Paintings Symbolized Death | Artsy Fluxus Movement The Avant-Garde Fluxus Movement Explained. 279597, Registered Office: Not many people today are familiar with this Dutch painter, who was born in Leiden around 1584 a generation earlier than his more famous Leiden colleagues Rembrandt (1606-1669) and Gerard Dou (1613-1675). The Emptiness of It All: Vanitas paintings - The Eclectic Light Company Within the Vanitas paintings that were created, certain characteristics appeared that enabled its inclusion into the genre. Artists . Both objects are said to depict the passing of time. Realism within these artworks helped viewers to understand and subsequently order their minds with reference to the fleeting aspects of life, which contrasted greatly against the disorder of the actual painting. 1995.74.2. c. 1650. The artist appears to have added this to the composition at a later stage. Floating above this array of objects are three bubbles that refer to Erasmuss description of man as Homo bulla est (man is a bubble): an emblem that we also find in other art of the period (Fig. Vanitas - A Reminder of Human Mortality Through Vanitas Paintings Also see Ann Jensen Adams and Sabine Schulze, eds., Leselust: Niederlndische Malerei von Rembrandt bis Vermeer (Frankfurt am Main, 1993), 34. In the next stage, known as the working up process, greater attention was given to the three-dimensionality of each form. Therefore, this genre of Vanitas art was instrumental in guiding the focus of the viewers mind towards Heaven through the depiction of objects that existed on Earth. It is as if she understands the hidden meaning that the painting attempts to convey before the viewers are able to figure it out. In keeping with traditional seventeenth century practise, each component of the composition was blocked in with a general dead-colour comprised of fairly simple pigment mixtures.(Fig. Export from an object page includes entry, notes, images, and all menu items except overview and related contents. 4th St and Constitution Ave NW The crown, scepter and medal of St. George (the patron saint of England) indicate that Andriessen drew upon contemporary events for inspiration for his vanitas. Vanitas art was incredibly realistic, as it was firmly grounded in Earthly concepts which differed greatly from the mystical technique of Catholic art. Click here for details on how to order back-issues of our journal from just 5 per volume (7.50 for non-members). We also welcome less formal contributions for Monument of the Month and the Blog. 15, as Attributed to Frans van Dalen); (Jack Kilgore & Co., Inc., New York); purchased 20 May 2014 by NGA. Life on earth is as brief and transitory as an extinguished candle, a fragile bubble, a toppled glass or a faded flower. The inclusion of the skull implies that even for the wealthiest individuals, there is no way to escape the inevitability of death and heavenly judgment. Get the latest information and tips about everything Art with our bi-weekly newsletter, The Relationship Between Vanitas and Religion, Cornelis Galle the Younger, depicting an allegory of death. E. de Jongh in Still-Life in the Age of Rembrandt. After Vanitas came to a close, still lifeswere astonishingly beautiful in their depiction until they underwent another change in meaning towards the end of the 19th century. Additionally, vanitas was closely related to the Latin saying memento mori, which roughly translated to remember you must die. Sep 5, 2022 - Vanitas Still Life with African Servant | Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. 2023 National Gallery of Art Notices Terms of Use Privacy Policy. VANI[TA]TVM . However, as the movement rose in popularity, the artworks started to lighten up slightly towards the end of the period. The maxim 'Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas' comes from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes and translates as: vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Thus, Vanitas paintings were simply a variation of the traditional still life form. The Haarlem artist Pieter Claesz became well-known for his still-lifes featuring a limited palette. It contains many of the typical symbols of vanitas paintings. Fig. East Building This painting is an unusually large and splendid example of the vanitas still life. Private Collection c/o Jack Kilgore & Co. Light falls across the still life from our left, and panes from a window outside our view are reflected in the bubbles and on the glass vase. David Bailly Dutch, 1584-1657 Vanitas Still Life with Portrait, ca. [6] [6]See Jan Bialostocki, Books of Wisdom and Books of Vanity, In Memoriam: J. G. van Gelder, 19031980 (Utrecht, 1982), 3767; Ann Jensen Adams and Sabine Schulze, eds., Leselust: Niederlndische Malerei von Rembrandt bis Vermeer (Frankfurt am Main, 1993); Jochen Becker, Das Buch im Stilleben, das Stilleben im Buch, Stilleben in Europa (Munster, 1980), 448478. This artwork depicts three individuals thought to be a woman, her son, and her servant. Alexandra Libby, Franois van Daellen/Vanitas Still Life/c. Through the inclusion of these elements, Collier communicated the message that life, in all of its glorious aspects, was essentially meaningless due to its ephemeral nature. Touch device users, explore by touch . The paintings created during this time existed as a symbolic depiction of the uncertainty of the world and emphasized the idea that nothing can possibly persevere against decay and death. Due to its subject matter, it is debatable whether the Vanitas genre would have been as popular if it were not for Counter-Reformation and Calvinism, which thrust it into the spotlight. N2 1913. If you are interested in tomb carvings and want to know more about them or help with their conservation, then the Church Monuments Society is for you. Vanitas Still Life with Books and Manuscripts and a Skull (1663) by Edwaert Collier;Evert Collier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. All the objects in this painting allude to the transience of earthly things. More books, papers, and a box are piled to the right. The skull, bubbles, extinguished candle, flowers, and glass vase all speak to the fragility and ephemerality of life; the watch, its hand positioned near midnight, symbolizes the passing of time and the approach of the final reckoning; the regalia of king and bishop signify the fleeting nature of temporal power; and the book on which the skull rests is emblematic of the futility of intellectual pursuits. Thus, these paintings emphasized the inescapable mortality that viewers faced, in an attempt to remind viewers to act in accordance with God. Considered instead with the skull, however, from which the figure seems to dramatically turn away, the sculpture is a meditation on the fleeting nature of youth. This is not the case with all areas of cochineal; in fact, final dabs of pure cochineal have retained their red hue though they have certainly lost some intensity with age. Cornelis van der Meulen - Wikipedia Japanese Erotic Art Shunga What Is Japanese Shunga Art? The Vanitas genre made use of the still-life form in order to conjure up the transient quality of life and the vanity of living in the artworks that were produced. This is possibly due to the fact that the angel seems aware of her transience within the natural world, as she knows that her presence will be eternal in her afterlife. The Last Drop, painted by Judith Leyster, offers a unique example of Vanitas paintings during the time. A brass candlestick with a flat, shallow, dish-like base rests on the box along the right side of the composition, above the skull. Read our full Open Access policy for images Because of its virtuoso handling and notable discoloration, the lobster was brought to a high level of completion in the reconstruction. Today, critics attribute the arrival of these movements as additional cautions against the vanities of life, as they stressed the reduction in possessions and triumph, which further emphasized what the Vanitas genre stood for. 1650, Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/164870 (accessed May 01, 2023). At the start of the movement, the artworks appeared to be very gloomy and dark. The primary support and paint layers are in good condition, although there are several small areas in the top portion of the painting where the paper support is delaminating from its wooden secondary support. While random at first, each object was carefully chosen in this collection, as they existed as representations of the Latin phrase memento mori to remind viewers about death. Meanwhile, the African servant, monkey and grey parrot represent the exotic: symbols of status collected from distant locations, some pictured on the globe at the right of the composition. No matter what other objects were included, the reference to mortality was always made clear. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Vanitas still lifes were appreciated for their visual appeal and incredible details as well as for their deeper philosophical meaning. Flemish artist Joris van Son, who painted Allegory on Human Life, addressed the Vanitas theme in an aesthetically beautiful style. The themes that were present in the Vanitas paintings that were produced had a lot in common with medieval commemorations of the dead. The individualistic feeling towards deliberation that accompanied Protestantism helped direct Dutch artists towards the genre of Vanitas, as they wanted to express their religious sentiment through the appropriate art form. In this painting, for example, besides using brown and green, he only used a dash of blue for the ribbon of the watch. Vanitas still life with a skull, sheet music, violin, globe, candle, hourglass and playing cards, all on a draped table(1662) by Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts;Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. It was hoped that a recreation of the painting process would offer an explanation for the extent and pattern of pigment degradation. Vanitas Still Life, c. 1650 West Building, Main Floor - Gallery 50C Medium oil on paper laid down on panel Dimensions overall: 20.3 16.5 cm (8 6 1/2 in.) The vanitas and memento mori picture became popular in the seventeenth century, in a religious age when almost everyone believed that life on earth was merely a preparation for an afterlife. 2023. W1J 0BD, Copyright 2018 CMS. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en/story/exhibition-david-bailly-vanitas, https://www.waanders.nl/nl/david-bailly-time-death-and-vanity.html. Depending on the geographic location of the painting, as different regions showed a preference for different motifs, artists would emphasize a variety of distinct motifs. Explore. Watch. Vanitas Paintings in Northern Art | What is Vanitas? - Study.com When considering the different paintings that made up this genre, it is easy to still wonder: What is Vanitas? ;Antonio de Pereda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Ecclesiastes 1:2 succinctly describes the vanitas movement that began in response to the prosperity in 18th century Holland. The five senses may be referenced in the lute-player and the flute on the table (hearing), the empty glass (taste), the pomander and the roses (smell), the young mans hand on the male portrait (touch), and the display of objects as a whole (sight). Allegory of the Vanities of the World(1663) by Pieter Boel;Pieter Boel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Ink. However, this skull is distorted, meaning that it can only be seen accurately from one specific perspective. The elegant arrangement of exotic foods and decorative objects are interspersed with sober reminders of mortality: a recently extinguished candle, a mirror without a reflection, several time pieces and dusty tomes stacked high on a forgotten shelf. The vanitas still life, a subset of this genre, grew out of the long artistic tradition known as the memento mori. Both of these movements, one Catholic and the other Protestant, appeared at the same time that Vanitas painting began to rise in popularity. Still Life with Oysters, a Silver Tazza, and Glassware (1635) by Willem Claesz;Willem Claesz. Following its recent restoration at the Hamilton Kerr Institute,The Yarmouth Collectionhas returned to its home at the Norwich Castle Museum, Norfolk. 1650 Oil on canvas 35 x 45 inches Gift of Louis V. Keeler, Class of 1911, and Mrs. Keeler, by It was thought to symbolize the briefness of worldly pleasures, which was further highlighted by the inclusion of an extinguished candle, a watch, and a skull. The first category included paintings that focused on death through the inclusion of objects like skulls, candles, burnt-out lamps, and wilting flowers. Vanitas - Works - eMuseum Artists did not create paintings in an attempt to display various objects or demonstrate their artistic skill, as both traits became evident the more the painting was considered and observed. David Bailly (c.1584-1657), Vanitas Still Life with Portrait of a Young Painter (1651), oil on panel, 89.5 x 122 cm, Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden. Vanitas Still Life with African Servant was painted byDavid Bailly (1584 - 1657) Vanitas Still Life with African Servant is inJohnson Museum of Art Vanitas Still Life with African Servant is inGenre with Servant Vanitas Still Life with African Servant is inVanitas Still Life The text on the piece of paper hanging down the edge of the table on the far right reads VANITAS . For example, the statue of the cherub, seen next to the palette and brushes, stands for the art of sculpture. This striking vanitas still-life painting juxtaposes scholarly and artistic achievements with reminders of the fleeting nature of human life. These objects implored viewers to understand that time was a precious resource and subtly scolded those who seemed to be wasting theirs. 5] Geoffrey Whitney, "Studiis invigilandum," from A Choice of Emblemes (Leiden, 1586), 172, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (90-B15020). The first image shows a collection of works by Pieter Clasz, together with . [5] [5]Sebastian Brant, Das Narrenschiff (Basel, 1494; facsimile edition, Strasbourg, 1913), 8. Burlington House, Below, the inscription reads, Famous Vanitas Artists and Their Artworks, Trompe lOeil Trompe lOeil Painting Techniques With Examples. The message stated that viewers should caution placing too much importance on wealth, material objects, and the gratifications of life, as these objects could become barriers in the path to salvation. Today. The more one makes their way through these objects, the more these objects exist as a stark reminder that death conquers all, no matter what. The paintings were primarily designed to remind those who looked at it about the triviality of life and its pleasures, as nothing could withstand the permanence that death brought. Vanitas Still Life with African Servant [3] [3]For example, see Hendrick Hondius I, Vanitas (Finis Coronat Opus), 1626, engraving, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam RP-P-1904-15; see Ruud Priem, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and the Golden Age of Dutch Art: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum (Vancouver, 2009), 4849. The Dutch Republic, which was freeing itself of its Catholic Spanish rulers, became a proud Protestant state by the beginning of the 17th century. https://www.lakenhal.nl/en/collection/s-1351. Sculpture Garden The viewer of this still life is asked to ponder this philosophical question. The Society of Antiquaries, 4]  [fig. Allegory of Vanity (1632-1636) by Antonio de Pereda;Antonio de Pereda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. A vanitas painting contains collections of objects symbolic of the inevitability of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures; it exhorts the viewer to consider mortality and to repent. Visual Identity and Website Design by Corey McPherson Nash, Frame: 33 3/8 in x 41 1/2 in x 1 5/8 in; 84.8 cm x 105.4 cm x 4.1 cm; Stretcher: 25 1/8 in x 33 1/8 in; 63.8 cm x 84.1 cm, Purchase with the Warbeke Art Museum Fund, Broom Jumpers: A Conversation with Bisa Butler, The Passenger Pigeon at the Skinner Museum, vanessa germanTHE RAREST BLACK WOMAN ON THE PLANET EARTH: Skinner Museum 75, Form and Figment: Highlights from the Permanent Collection, Collection & Connection: Responsive Portraiture, Poetry and the Image: Formations of Identity, Cyberpunk in Asia: Reflections on Dystopia in a Time of Coronavirus, Anthropology in/of Museums: A Selection of Object-Based Research Projects, Queer & Trans / Poetry & Prose / Reading & Open Mic, View This Object In The Collections Database, 5 Colleges and Historic Deerfield Museum Consortium Collections Database. https://interactionofcolor.com?id=67925CITANCHOR. On top is a thin, transparent, reddish brown imprimatura, which extends throughout much of the composition but was not applied overall. [7] [7]Geoffrey Whitney, A Choice of Emblemes (Leiden, 1586), 171; adapted from Johannes Sambucus, Emblemata (Antwerp, 1566), 56. He frequently varied the architectural settings of his scenes. 4. Colliers Vanitas still life exists as a warning against the vanity of the world, in addition to cautioning viewers to enjoy life before it is too late. This was due to the fact that the meaning behind what Vanitas stood for lost its power, in addition to the spirit of the religious combative reform losing its force. The key concepts to be expressed by a Vanitas painting thus include: the brevity of life on earth, the imminence of death, the worthlessness of earthly riches, the futility of earthly pursuits and pleasures. It seems that no matter how hard the boy tried to grab his mothers attention, he cannot rescue her from her enslavement to the meaningless of her life. The painting is shot through with references to timethe sundial, the pocket watch, the hourglassas well as objects that signal the vanity of music, gambling, learning, and even painting itself. The Vanitas genre was thus built on Protestant ethics, as demonstrated by the ideas and themes that came forward in the paintings created. Nature morte de chasse ou Attirail doiseleur(Hunting Still Life or Still Life of Fowling Equipment, before 1675) by Cornelis Norbertus Gysbrechts;Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. This image is in the public domain. Lingering beneath the guise of a somewhat innocuous table-top treasure, the pronk-vanitas still-life embodies the spirit of fleeting luxury, . Open dialog for my citation options Typical still-life paintings consisted of inanimate and ordinary objects, such as flowers, food, and vases, with the attention of the artwork being placed on these objects alone.