Death Throughout the Ages: An Exploration of Vanitas and Still Life Paintings

     Why skulls? And what do they and flowers have in common? Well, it has to do with death. In the 17th century Netherlands, painters began depicting various objects from different regions relating to trade that was occurring in that time. These worldly objects were typically glass vases or pitchers, flowers or food. However, a subgenre of paintings developed from this, and used these items to take on an iconographic role. These paintings are called vanitas paintings. Vanitas paintings used objects like flowers, glass, skulls, fruit, and even insects to hint at the tension between life, death, and its inevitability. The term vanitas comes from the Hebrew word “vapor of vapors” to describe the fragility, and fleetingness of life. However, many works in Denmark and Finland contained constructed bouquets of flowers that were actually fictional and held that dichotomy of life and death. Yet, other vanitas throughout Europe were more pronounced in its depictions by use of skulls as the primary subject, and candles or other objects that included vapors to symbolize that life is but a vapor. 

    These paintings vary in content and style, but point towards different views of death and life. Ranging from a more obvious, and ominous view of death, to one that is also laced with life, each work showcases this dichotomy. However, depictions of death are not solely limited to the vanitas movement. Even in the 20th century we see this theme develop itself through various mediums as the vanitas movement heavily influenced other artists across the world. 

Harmen Steenwyck, Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life

1640

Medium: oil on wood 

The National Gallery, DC

  

     Here, we see an array of objects cluttered and arranged on the table with a shaft of light illuminating the skull that is emphasized at the center of the table. Silky fabric is draped around the table, and even a katana-like blade creates a line of emphasis that further frames the skull. All of these objects scattered on the table are a stark contrast to this reminder of death that is quite literally staring the view in the face. Referring back to what vanitas itself means, it is that all life is but a vapor. And all of these objects, a collection of books and a shell, and even a watch is a stark reminder that all pursuits in life, all the objects that we collect, are ultimately useless and pass away.

Jacques de Gheyn II, Vanitas Still Life

Oil on Wood

1603

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 1974.1

    

    In one of the earliest examples of vanitas, Gheyn obviously shows death in a ominous way, however, the objects around the skull depict a dichotomy between death and life. This painting, a smooth beige skull is set into a dark alcove being contrasted by value. The bubble floating above the grim skull has depictions of human death. Vapors from the urn on the right also point to the vapors of life, while the flower (despite being cut) creates a flash of red like a flare of life.

Herman Henstenburg, Vanitas Still Life N.D. Watercolor, gouache, and gum arabic on parchment The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 2003.30

    Although undated, Henstenburg shows Dutch characteristics of still life with the use of flowers to help hold the tension between life and death. The skull, perched on a marble table, is crowned with a wreath of flowers, each highly texturized and emphasized by their stark colors. Behind the skull is a burnt out candle with vapors of smoke floating in the air. Even an hourglass is peeking out from behind the array of flowers showing the eventual emptiness that life must end.

Clara Peeters, A Bouquet of Flowers Oil on wood 1612 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 2020.22

Peeters here shows the fragility and fleetingness of life in more overt ways. Her painting, a wild bouquet of flowers in a glass vase in a dark background is emphasized by its color and use of line and texture. This bouquet, although bright and colorful, shows death in the wilting flowers. Petals droop, and are discolored, some even losing their petals entirely. Flowers also are half dead on the wooden table and show that even beautiful flowers only last for a season. Despite the beauty of the bouquet, death is shown to be absolute, yet there is still beauty in the colorful bouquet.

Otto Marseus van Schrieck, Still Life with Poppy, Insects, and Reptiles Oil on canvas 1670 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 53.155

    

This painting, a vining poppy with fluffy looking leaves dominates the center of the work. Schrieck does not depict the flower in a vase, but at the corner of a stone structure. Insects are littered around the flower and ground. Here, death is expressed in the symbolism of the dark poppy itself, like a flickering red ember in a dying fire. The color palet of this work is also dark and ominous, not bright, but gloomy. Even mushrooms, that live on death and rot, are peeking up from the ground reminding the viewer that death is in the scene.

Pieter Claesz, Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill

Oil on wood

1628

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 49.107

    In this still life, Claesz shows death in obvious ways. A naturalistic skull is perched on a stack of paper and books, with a glass goblet upside down, and pointing towards the viewer. Even a dying wick is leaving traces of grey vapors in the black background. A white quill and upturned inkwell lean towards the viewer, connecting the painting towards the viewer like a breach of space. As viewers, we can not help but be close to the painting, because of the close up objects that seem to reach out into the view’s space. The close vicinity of the objects is a sullen reminder of the closeness of death.

Pablo Picasso, Black Jug and Skull

Lithograph on paper

1946

The Tate Museum

    

    Picasso, although dating after the vanitas movement, references it in this work. Picasso represents still life in a more abstract representation of death. The style is stylistic, and more doodly, with curved lines and a cartoonish skull. The skull, half black and white is plopped on an open book that is propped open on a table. Beside the skull and book is a pitcher. Although Picasso did not create this work during the vanitas movement, he is still depicting death in a way that is reflective of that movement. 

Willem Claesz Heda, Still Life with Oysters, a Silver Tazza, and Glassware

Oil on wood

1635

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ascension Number: 2005.331

 

    Here, Heda takes a more overt approach to the vapors of life. The still life, a collection of worldly goods like glass cups and silver platters are scattered on the table. On the plates are shucked oysters, half peeled oranges, and rolled up paper. Beside the plates is an upright goblet glinting in the dim light. However, in front of the goblet is a fallen silverware, and behind it is a broken glass cup. When looking at this piece, there is a sense of offputtingness that is displayed. The table is crowded, the silky tablecloth is half dangling off the table. These extravagant things are instead broken, literally shattered. As viewers, we are reminded that these pretty things are in fact just things that pass away. Life, like a passing vapor, is fleeting and fragile like glass. 

Beth Lipman, Flowers, Bread, Chalice and Sticks

Glass, wood, paint, glue

2012

The Hunter Museum of American Art, TN

    

    Lipman uses a different medium to express still life: glass. Here, we see an overabundant table full of various objects typically seen in other still life paintings, like goblets and flowers. Fragility in life is literally shown in the medium itself. Each object is fragile, easily shattered, and see through, like passing vapors. Some wine glasses have even fallen on the table, half leaning off the edge. These reflections of worldly goods like goblets, flowers, bread and exuberant items are ultimately just glass objects.