Description of the painting by Yu van Streck vanity of vanities. The living language of the symbols of the vanitas genre. Still life in a butcher shop

And I decided to find more such still lifes that seemed to catch my eye. It turned out that there are just a lot of them! And there is such a separate genre, called “Vanitas”. Imagine - I didn’t know this!!! A number of artists practiced this genre, even entire families - like brothers Peter and Harven Stanwick. Still lifes with skulls were simply in vogue. This business began in the 17th century from Holland, the birthplace of classical still life, and then moved to France, Britain and other countries.

Albert van der Schur 1660s

What kind of dubious pleasure is this - decorating skulls with flowers and ribbons? Surely a passion for shocking the public and a craving for everything terrible and unknown motivated the artists? But no! It’s not for nothing that the genre is called “Vanitas” - “vanity, vanity.” Such paintings were intended to teach, to remind of the frailty of all material things. People who lived in the 17th century in Europe had many reasons not to forget about death: the 30 Years' War, the war between England and France, the plague in London, the Dutch Revolution, the dictatorship of Cromwell and the execution of King Charles the First, our Time of Troubles, etc. .

The cross, a symbol of spirituality and religiosity, even a direct indication of them, appeared in VANITAS quite late. But the wax seal - a sign of secrecy, commitment to secret knowledge or the inability to join it - was used at the dawn of the genre

After the demise of religious wars, the idea of ​​revived spirituality against the background of mortality, the frailty of all material things and the primacy of religious thought was especially popular.

At first, skulls were painted on the back of ordinary secular portraits, then they became an independent genre. At first they were depicted in the center of the picture, large, often in niches; there were few other objects. Subsequently, the compositions became less and less laconic, the symbols became more and more profound and meaningful. During their heyday, VANITAS turned into lush and colorful canvases, replete with symbolism and attributes, sometimes even overloaded with many details. To understand these symbols and learn to read them, I suggest looking at the works themselves.

Bartholomeus Brain the Elder, con. 16th century

This is one of the first images in the VANITAS genre. There are few items. The instructive nature of the image is indicated by the inscription on the piece of paper on the right - something like “momento mori”, remember death. The skull is placed in a niche, as was done in early works. An extinguished candle indicates the extinction of life. A fly on the skull is a sign of evil, impurity, decay.

Van "Utrecht" Adrian, 1642

In later works, the skull is shifted to the side and there are more details. In the bouquet we see both living and fresh flowers and fading ones - a hint at the fragility of flowering and youth. Rotting fruits also served as symbols of withering. A rose is a symbol of bodily passion, a tulip is the embodiment of thoughtless extravagance (in Holland, you could buy a decent house for a few bulbs of a rare variety of tulips).

Wenzel Lorenz Rainer, 1710

Books and a pen are a symbol of science.

A smoking pipe is a very common attribute, as well as an overturned empty glass - symbols of the short duration and ephemerality of earthly pleasures. A knife is a symbol of vulnerability; it could also sometimes symbolize masculinity. On the left is a fading brazier, in which the coals are barely glowing. It, just like extinguished lamps and extinguished candles, means the extinction of life.

David Bailey "Vanitas with self-portrait", 1651

Self-portraits are not such a common occurrence in the genre, but they do occur sometimes. VANITAS were sometimes part of historical paintings, allegories and genre scenes.

Jacob (Jacques) de Geyn Sr.

Also early work. As far as I can tell, the ball above the skull may be a soap bubble - a symbol of vulnerability, fragility and fragility. Money on the shelf is a symbol of wealth that cannot be taken with you to the grave. A tulip in a vase - you already know, farewell smoke from an extinguished lamp - life has decayed, the soul, like smoke, leaves this world.

Carnations - marriage, motherhood.

Jean David le Him

On the left we see part of the armor - “weapons and military power are as perishable as everything material”

He's the same

A bursting pomegranate is a symbol of fertility or the atoning sacrifice of Christ (reinforced by the presence of a crucifix on the right)

He's the same

Musical instruments are a symbol of eternal art, an overturned bowl is the same as a glass. Empty shells mean the same thing as a skull - there used to be life here, but now there is none! To the left of the sink is a mechanical clock that reminds you of the transience of time. Smoke from the brazier sometimes symbolized the flying away soul, and sometimes the illusory nature of hopes.

He's the same

Symbols of art (sculptures), sciences (books) and an instructive inscription. The laurel wreath is a symbol of poetry.

AKA 1685

Here we see many symbols - a book, an extinguished candle, a smoking pipe, but there is no skull. But this is also VANITAS. The symbolism of the genre was later used for a long time in ordinary still life. On the left side of the bouquet, the poppy is a symbol of death and oblivion. We see oysters next to lemon - these are symbols of sexual pleasure. True, oysters could have another meaning - an open shell symbolized a naked soul.

Cornelius Norbert Geisbrecht.
On the right is a saucer and a tube for blowing soap bubbles.
And here's another one that's very similar:

Inverted hourglass - time is up. Ears of corn mean rebirth, immortality of the soul. In general, Geisbrecht was very fond of such “tricks” - “VANITAS doubly” - the illusory nature of life is emphasized by the fact that the image is painted on a painted canvas. More of his works:

Cornelius Heinsbrecht, 1650

There are also ears of corn here. With its teeth, the skull seems to be holding a bottle of blush or powder (or a watch). Cosmetics meant the transience of physical beauty. The pink scarf also emphasizes that this allegory is female.

He's the same

He's the same

N.L.Peshier

Portraits and letters symbolize human relationships.

He's the same

Money and a blue wallet, ears of corn, an extinguished torch, notes (a symbol of art), an hourglass, a wax seal - you already know all this.

Aka 1650s

I don’t know who, but wonderful!
PS. I already found out - Antonio de Pareda, and this is only part of his big picture (the full story will be in the next post)

The mask emphasizes that it remains, but the face is no longer there. Weapons, like armor - army power - are nothing in the face of death. Jewelry is the same as money - it remains in this world, but a person cannot stay forever.

Hendrik Anderson 1650

Crowns, tiaras and other symbols of power in VANITAS show that everyone is equal before death. Globe is a symbol of science. Soap bubbles - we already know.

?
A bottle, like a smoking pipe, indicates a craving for earthly pleasures and drunkenness. The smoking cord here is the same as the wick of a lamp or candle. Ivy, like ears of corn, is a symbol of rebirth, eternal life after death.

Unknown author

Peter van Leer "Mystical scene with self-portrait", 1638

It's a terrible thing, isn't it?

Peter Claes

Mirrors and mirror balls are a symbol of vanity. And they also say that earthly life is as ephemeral as reflection. A broken walnut is a symbol of poverty, and in religious terms, a symbol of the crucifixion.

He's the same

The key is revealing the secrets (of life). If the key is broken, the secret is never revealed.
Here is a picture of a curved key - the key to the watch, with which it is connected by a ribbon, they were of this shape (suggested by uv. petrrrovich )

Peter Klas 1630
There is also a key here.

Peter Claes 1630s
And here.

Aka 1636
Peter Claes's favorite glass - it appears in many of his VENITAS. He was an excellent still life painter, even without skulls - look on the Internet!

Peter van Reestreten, second half of the 17th

In the middle is apparently a funeral urn. The cone is a symbol of immortality.

Peter Simon the Elder 1650-60s
There are two types of watches at once - mechanical and hourglass. The portrait and the rose next to it are a symbol of passion for a very specific woman.

Peter Stanwyck, 1650s
Beret, laurel branch, poem - allegory of poetry.

He's the same

Sebastian Stockopf, 1641

Here, too, we already know everything: a lute (not a pumpkin!), a globe, armor, bowls, a bottle, books. In the background there is an open window - a window into the afterlife.

Aka 1627

Medicines and medical instruments are a symbol of diseases.

Simon Lutichus, 1650s

It seems to be Charles the First. He was executed in the mid-17th century, after which it became fashionable to insert his portrait into VANITAS

Aka 1630s

Anatomical drawings, like portraits and letters, are a symbol of human relationships.

Simon Renard de Saint-André

Playing cards and dice are incorrectly chosen life guidelines. A butterfly (on a rose) is a symbol of the salvation of the soul.

Same, 1650s

He's the same
The skull with the lower jaw lying separately looks especially lonely and sad.

He's the same

Philip Sowerland

Cherries and figs are erotic pleasures.

Philippe de Champagne, 1650

Francis Giesbrechts

Gold and silver bowls are earthly blessings. Red ribbon - human sins

Aka 1660-70s

Hendrick Anderson, 1650

He's the same

He's the same

Peaches on the right are the fruit of the Fall, fornication, like grapes

He's the same

On the right, just below the globe, there is a strange object - a bag, a flask? He wanders from still life to Collier's still life. I don’t know what it is, but if I see it, I’ll know who painted the picture.

It's him. 1704

Royal regalia, a portrait of Charles the First and a skull peeking out from behind a book as if furtively.

Edward Collier, self-portrait

He's the same

In the foreground is an etching of Michelangelo

It's him.

And Collier also had a favorite glass.

Anthony Weiss, 1824

Stylization as an old image

Julian van Stake, 1670

Jacob Marel, 1637
A butterfly - you know, but dragonflies, like a fly, are a symbol of evil and dark forces. Very often in baroque still lifes we see a half-peeled lemon - a symbol of bodily beauty and lust, inside of which there is bitterness and disappointment. A lizard is a cunning, subterfuge, a devilish animal, just like a mouse.

Jan van Dalen the Second, 1663

Try here and find a skull!

Jan van Kesel de Od, 1670

I really like it! Maybe because of the roses, symbols of passion and lust? At the bottom left, a caterpillar is climbing the table, and you can still see butterflies - stages of the insect's life cycle symbolize rebirth.

And now I will show you relatively modern works. It’s difficult to call them VANITAS in the full sense of the word, although...

Andy Warhol, 1976

Vincent Van Gogh, 1887

Ilya Mashkov, 1914

By the way, horse skulls were also used in VANITAS in its heyday. Picasso loved them too.

Here comes Picasso

Paul Cezanne- an ardent fan of the genre!

He's the same

He's the same

Nowadays, artists also often resort to this genre, trying to adhere to the style or transforming the forms at their own discretion. In my opinion, the theme of the frailty and vanity of existence is eternal, but in isolation from the historical context it loses the special flavor of the era.

Look at the pictures again - they're worth it. Glad we chatted about them. Firstly, if the topic is new to you, you will now never again look at a still life of the Baroque era, just as a bunch of fruits, vases and flowers, from now on you will understand their secret meaning. Secondly, if you already knew about this interesting genre, it’s never a bad idea to think about the eternal!

Thank you for your attention!

Dutch still life is an admiration of the material world. Even when the canvas depicts not luxurious food and cups of wine, but symbols of death and the frailty of earthly life

After long wars with the Spanish Habsburgs, the Northern Netherlands gained independence at the end of the 16th century (de jure it was secured only in 1648). The first republic with a democratic constitution and victorious Calvinism was formed in Europe. This political revolution caused equally dramatic changes in the visual arts. Calvinism condemned all pomp and prohibited images in churches. If earlier artists were mainly engaged in decorating temples and palace interiors, now they have lost these orders. But a massive demand arose for easel paintings - paintings of a relatively small format, which in burghers and even peasant houses served both as decoration and as a kind of storyteller, just like we have a television now. The painting boom gave birth to a whole galaxy of outstanding artists: in small Holland (the main province of the Northern Netherlands), two universal geniuses were working simultaneously - Jan Vermeer and Harmens Rembrandt, the amazing portrait painter Frans Hals, and in general there were more than two thousand painters.

Landscapes, scenes of private life, and still life, which in Holland were called stilleven - “quiet, frozen life,” became popular. The still lifes of the “little Dutchmen” (as Dutch artists who worked in these “small” genres were later called) were distinguished by an amazing thematic diversity: breakfasts (a table with food and wines), flowers - with insects, snails and lizards (depicted with an accuracy worthy botanical-zoological atlas), attributes of a smoker - pipes, snuff boxes, etc., fish still lifes, hunting ones - with weapons and trophies, scientists - with books, globes, musical instruments... A special category were allegorical still lifes vanitas - “vanity of vanities”, speaking about the transience of life, the vanity of all things and the inevitability of death. The title refers to the biblical verse Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas (“Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”, Eccl. 1:2). The genre partly traces its origins to images of skulls and flowers, which Renaissance artists sometimes painted on the backs of portraits. These signs, apparently, served as a kind of amulets for the living model depicted in the portrait (for the superstitious-magical consciousness, a portrait is a dangerous thing, since it steals the soul of the person depicted in it). Vanitas still lifes appeared around 1550. The earliest of them are almost monochrome, strict and gloomy, usually with a skull depicted frontally (most often in a niche with a candle). In the 17th century, their composition, in accordance with the tastes of the era, became predominantly baroque, with sharp color contrasts, a heap of objects - attributes of luxury, vanity and vanity, as in Jurian van Streck's painting Vanitas vanitatis, presented in the room. These still lifes became fashionable in the 1620s. The city of learning Leiden was especially famous for them. Their plot basis goes back to medieval allegorical paintings: “triumphs” and “Dances of Death” - in them Death leads people of all ages, ranks and classes into another world in a round dance. Only it’s not people who “dance” on vanitas, but things. In a word, for those who like to look for hidden codes in a picture, any Dutch still life is a godsend: even the smoke from a pipe is not just smoke, but a symbol of the ephemeral nature of our hopes.

	Book- Sophocles' tragedy "Electra" - in this case the symbol is ambiguous. By placing it in the composition, the artist reminds of the inevitability of retribution for every crime, not on earth, but in heaven, since it is precisely this thought that permeates the tragedy. The antique motif in such still lifes often symbolized the continuity of art. On the title page is the name of the translator, the famous Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel, whose works on ancient and biblical subjects were so topical that he was even persecuted. It is unlikely that the artist placed Vondel by accident - it is possible that, speaking about the vanity of the world, he decided to mention the vanity of power.
	Sword and helmet- an emblem of transitory military glory.
	White with red plume- the compositional center of the picture. Feathers always mean vanity and vanity. The painting is dated based on the plumed helmet. Lodewijk van der Helst depicted him wearing such a helmet in his posthumous portrait of Admiral Stirlingwerf in 1670. The admiral's helmet is present in several more still lifes by van Streck.
	Portrait of Sanguine. Unlike oil, sanguine is very poorly preserved, as is paper in contrast to canvas. This sheet speaks of the futility of the artist’s efforts; the frayed and torn edges are intended to reinforce this idea.
	Golden fringe- the vanity of luxury. Van Streck painted this fringe again in a still life with oranges and lemon, which is also exhibited at the Pushkin Museum.
	Scull- in ancient culture an attribute of Kronos (Saturn), that is, a symbol of time. The Wheel of Fortune was also depicted with a skull. For Christians, it is a sign of worldly vanity, mental contemplation of death, an attribute of a hermit’s life. Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Jerome, Mary Magdalene, and the Apostle Paul were depicted with him. The skull is also a symbol of the eternal life of Christ, crucified on Golgotha, where, according to legend, the skull of Adam was buried. Ear, entwining the skull, is a symbol of the immortality of the soul (“I am the bread of life” - John 6:48), hope for eternal life.
	Stack of old papers- vanity of knowledge.
	Powder horn on a chain- a very characteristic subject for Dutch still life. Here it, apparently, should be interpreted as something that brings death, in contrast to the cornucopia.

The fate of the canvas

The painting was painted in oil on a fairly large format canvas (98 × 84 cm) around 1670. Prince Dmitry Golitsyn acquired it in 1766 for the Hermitage at an auction where the collection of the French artist Jacques Aved was being sold. In 1854, Nicholas I ordered the sale of it along with many other paintings to replenish the treasury depleted by military expenses. Since 1928, the still life has been kept in the State Museum fine arts in Moscow.

John Calvin John Calvin(1509-1564) - church reformer and founder of one of the movements of Protestantism. The basis of the Calvinist church is the so-called congregations - autonomous communities governed by a pastor, deacon and elders chosen from the laity. Calvinism was very popular in the Netherlands in the 16th century. taught that everyday things have hidden meanings, and behind every image there should be a moral lesson. Objects depicted in still life have multiple meanings: they were endowed with edifying, religious or other connotations. For example, oysters were considered an erotic symbol, and this was obvious to contemporaries: oysters allegedly stimulated sexual potency, and Venus, the goddess of love, was born from a shell. On the one hand, oysters hinted at worldly temptations, on the other, an open shell meant a soul ready to leave the body, that is, it promised salvation. Of course, there were no strict rules on how to read a still life, and the viewer guessed exactly the symbols on the canvas that he wanted to see. In addition, we must not forget that each object was part of the composition and could be read in different ways - depending on the context and the overall message of the still life.

Flower still life

Until the 18th century, a bouquet of flowers, as a rule, symbolized frailty, because earthly joys are as transitory as the beauty of a flower. The symbolism of plants is especially complex and ambiguous, and books of emblems, popular in Europe in the 16th-17th centuries, helped to grasp the meaning, where allegorical illustrations and mottos were accompanied by explanatory texts. Floral arrangements were not easy to interpret: the same flower had many meanings, sometimes directly opposite. For example, the narcissus indicated self-love and at the same time was considered a symbol of the Mother of God. In still lifes, as a rule, both meanings of the image were preserved, and the viewer was free to choose one of the two meanings or combine them.

Floral arrangements were often supplemented with fruits, small objects, and images of animals. These images expressed the main idea of ​​the work, emphasizing the motif of transience, decay, the sinfulness of everything earthly and the incorruptibility of virtue.

In the painting by Jan Davids de Heem Jan Davids de Heem(1606-1684) was a Dutch artist known for his floral still lifes. At the base of the vase, the artist depicted symbols of mortality: withered and broken flowers, crumbling petals and dried pea pods. Here is a snail - it is associated with the soul of a sinner Other such negative images include reptiles and amphibians (lizards, frogs), as well as caterpillars, mice, flies and other living creatures crawling on the ground or living in the mud.. In the center of the bouquet we see symbols of modesty and purity: wildflowers, violets and forget-me-nots. They are surrounded by tulips, symbolizing fading beauty and senseless waste (growing tulips in Holland was considered one of the most vain activities and, moreover, expensive); lush roses and poppies, reminiscent of the fragility of life. The composition is crowned with two large flowers that have a positive meaning. The blue iris represents the remission of sins and indicates the possibility of salvation through virtue. The red poppy, which was traditionally associated with sleep and death, has changed its interpretation due to its location in the bouquet: here it denotes the atoning sacrifice of Christ Even in the Middle Ages, it was believed that poppy flowers grew on land watered by the blood of Christ.. Other symbols of salvation are ears of bread, and a butterfly sitting on a stalk represents the immortal soul.

Painting by Jan Bauman Jan (Jean-Jacques) Bauman(1601-1653) - painter, master of still life. Lived and worked in Germany and the Netherlands.“Flowers, Fruits and a Monkey” is a good example of the semantic layers and ambiguity of a still life and the objects on it. At first glance, the combination of plants and animals seems random. In fact, this still life also reminds us of the transience of life and the sinfulness of earthly existence. Each depicted object conveys a certain idea: the snail and lizard in this case indicate the mortality of everything earthly; a tulip lying near a bowl of fruit symbolizes rapid fading; shells scattered on the table hint at an unwise waste of money In 17th-century Holland, collecting various kinds of “curiosities,” including shells, was very popular.; and the monkey with the peach indicates original sin and depravity. On the other hand, a fluttering butterfly and fruits: bunches of grapes, apples, peaches and pears speak of the immortality of the soul and the atoning sacrifice of Christ. On another, allegorical level, the fruits, fruits, flowers and animals presented in the picture represent four elements: shells and snails - water; butterfly - air; fruits and flowers - earth; monkey - fire.

Still life in a butcher shop

The image of a butcher shop has traditionally been associated with the idea of ​​physical life, the personification of the element of earth, as well as gluttony. Painted by Peter Aertsen Peter Aartsen ( 1508-1575) - Dutch artist, also known as Pieter the Long. Among his works are genre scenes based on gospel stories, as well as images of markets and shops. Almost the entire space is occupied by a table laden with food. We see many types of meat: killed poultry and dressed carcasses, liver and ham, hams and sausages. These images symbolize immoderation, gluttony and attachment to carnal pleasures. Now let's turn our attention to the background. On the left side of the picture, in the window opening, there is a gospel scene of the flight into Egypt, which contrasts sharply with the still life in the foreground. The Virgin Mary hands the last loaf of bread to a beggar girl. Note that the window is located above the dish, where two fish lie crosswise (symbol of the crucifixion) - a symbol of Christianity and Christ. On the right in the background is a tavern. A cheerful group sits at a table by the fire, drinks and eats oysters, which, as we remember, are associated with lust. A butchered carcass hangs next to the table, indicating the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of earthly joys. A butcher in a red shirt dilutes wine with water. This scene echoes the main idea of ​​the still life and refers to the Parable of the Prodigal Son Let us remember that in the Parable of the Prodigal Son there are several plots. One of them tells about the youngest son, who, having received an estate from his father, sold everything and spent the money on a dissolute life.. The scene in the tavern, as well as the butcher shop full of dishes, speaks of an idle, dissolute life, attachment to earthly pleasures, pleasant for the body, but destructive for the soul. In the scene of the flight to Egypt, the characters practically turn their backs to the viewer: they move deeper into the picture, away from the butcher shop. This is a metaphor for escape from a dissolute life full of sensual joys. Giving up them is one of the ways to save the soul.

Still life in a fish shop

The fish still life is an allegory of the water element. These kinds of works, like butcher shops, were often part of the so-called cycle of the primordial elements In Western Europe, large painting cycles were common, consisting of several paintings and, as a rule, hanging in one room. For example, the cycle of the seasons (where summer, autumn, winter and spring were depicted with the help of allegories) or the cycle of the primary elements (fire, water, earth and air). and, as a rule, were created to decorate palace dining rooms. In the foreground are paintings by Frans Snyders Frans Snyders(1579-1657) - Flemish painter, author of still lifes and baroque animal compositions.“Fish Shop” depicts a lot of fish. There are perches and sturgeon, crucian carp, catfish, salmon and other seafood here. Some have already been cut up, some are waiting their turn. These images of fish do not carry any subtext - they glorify the wealth of Flanders.

Next to the boy we see a basket with gifts that he received for St. Nicholas Day In Catholicism, St. Nicholas Day is traditionally celebrated on December 6th. On this holiday, as at Christmas, children are given gifts.. This is indicated by wooden red shoes tied to the basket. In addition to sweets, fruits and nuts, the basket contains rods - as a hint of upbringing with “carrot and stick”. The contents of the basket speak of joys and sorrows human life, which constantly replace each other. The woman explains to the child that obedient children receive gifts, and bad children receive punishment. The boy recoiled in horror: he thought that instead of sweets he would receive blows with rods. On the right we see a window opening through which we can see the city square. A group of children stands under the windows and joyfully greets the puppet jester on the balcony. The jester is an integral attribute of folk holiday festivities.

Still life with a set table

In numerous variations of table settings on the canvases of Dutch masters we see bread and pies, nuts and lemons, sausages and hams, lobsters and crayfish, dishes with oysters, fish or empty shells. These still lifes can be understood depending on the set of objects.

In a painting by Gerrit Willems Heda Gerrit Willems Heda(1620-1702) - author of still lifes and son of the artist Willem Claes Heda. we see a dish, a jug, a tall glass goblet and an overturned vase, a mustard pot, a ham, a crumpled napkin and a lemon. This is Heda's traditional and favorite set. The arrangement of objects and their choice are not random. Silverware symbolizes earthly riches and their futility, ham symbolizes carnal pleasures, and an attractive-looking lemon, sour inside, represents betrayal. An extinguished candle indicates the frailty and fleetingness of human existence, a mess on the table indicates destruction. A tall glass “flute” glass (in the 17th century such glasses were used as a measuring container with marks) is as fragile as human life, and at the same time symbolizes moderation and a person’s ability to control his impulses. In general, in this still life, as in many other “breakfasts,” the theme of vanity and the meaninglessness of earthly pleasures is played out with the help of objects.

Most of the objects depicted in the still life by Pieter Claes Peter Claes(1596-1661) - Dutch artist, author of many still lifes. Along with Heda, he is considered the founder of the Harlem school of still life with its geometric monochrome paintings. are erotic symbols. Oysters, pipe, wine refer to brief and dubious carnal pleasures. But this is just one option for reading a still life. Let's look at these images from a different angle. Thus, shells are symbols of the frailty of the flesh; a pipe, with which they not only smoked, but also blew soap bubbles, is a symbol of the suddenness of death. Claes's contemporary, the Dutch poet Willem Godschalk van Fokkenborch, wrote in his poem “My Hope is Smoke”:

As you can see, being is akin to smoking a pipe,
And I really don’t know what the difference is:
One is just a breeze, the other is just a smoke. Per. Evgeniy Vitkovsky

The theme of the transience of human existence is contrasted with the immortality of the soul, and signs of frailty suddenly turn out to be symbols of salvation. The bread and glass of wine in the background are associated with the body and blood of Jesus and indicate the sacrament of the sacrament. Herring, another symbol of Christ, reminds us of fasting and Lenten food. And open shells with oysters can change their negative meaning to the exact opposite, denoting the human soul, separated from the body and ready to enter into eternal life.

Different levels of interpretation of objects unobtrusively tell the viewer that a person is always free to choose between the spiritual and eternal and the earthly transitory.

Vanitas, or "Scientist" still life

The genre of the so-called “scientific” still life was called vanitas - translated from Latin it means “vanity of vanities”, in other words - “memento mori” (“remember death”). This is the most intellectual type of still life, an allegory of the eternity of art, the frailty of earthly glory and human life.

Sword and helmet with luxurious plumes in a painting by Jurian van Streck Jurian van Streck(1632-1687) - Amsterdam artist, famous for his still lifes and portraits. indicate the fleeting nature of earthly glory. The hunting horn symbolizes wealth that cannot be taken with you into another life. In “scientific” still lifes there are often images of open books or carelessly lying papers with inscriptions. They not only invite you to think about the objects depicted, but also allow you to use them for their intended purpose: read open pages or play music written in a notebook. Van Streck drew a sketch of a boy's head and an open book: this is Sophocles' tragedy "Electra", translated into Dutch. These images indicate that art is eternal. But the pages of the book are curled and the drawing is wrinkled. These are signs of the beginning of corruption, hinting that after death even art will not be useful. The skull also speaks of the inevitability of death, but the ear of grain entwined around it symbolizes the hope of resurrection and eternal life. By the middle of the 17th century, a skull entwined with an ear of grain or evergreen ivy would become a mandatory subject for depiction in still lifes in the vanitas style.

Sources

• Whipper B.R. The problem and development of still life.
• Zvezdina Yu. N. Emblematics in the world of ancient still life. On the problem of reading a symbol.
• Tarasov Yu. A. Dutch still life from the 17th century.
• Shcherbacheva M. I. Still life in Dutch painting.
• Visible image and hidden meaning. Allegories and emblems in the painting of Flanders and Holland in the second half of the 16th - 17th centuries. Exhibition catalogue. Pushkin Museum im. A. S. Pushkin.

Vanitas- a direction of painting that simply cannot be ignored. It is also called “Vanity of Vanities.” So unusual name comes from the Latin vanus, which translates as “perishable, empty.” The development of this direction began in the seventeenth century. European culture at that time was not going through the happiest period: a feeling of uncertainty about the future reigned in society, which was reflected in the fine arts.

“Vanity of vanities” - it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate name for a genre whose specifics help emphasize the fragility of human life, which can end at any moment. By using visual arts, characteristic of this genre, shows the frailty of existence - through a variety of symbols that unconsciously influence human consciousness. And in the face of inevitable death, all political and religious problems begin to seem so meaningless!

Like any other genre, vanitas has a number of attributes unique to it, which carry a certain meaning and allow one to convey the futility of any action.

A symbol such as a skull is very common. It should suggest the inevitability of death. The skeleton is all that remains of our bodily shell, which is why the skull here is like a mirror image of our future.

Well, rotten fruits in this genre are depicted as a symbol of aging. If there are ripe fruits on the canvas, they mean fertility, abundance or wealth. Moreover, each fruit has its own meaning. Often in vanitas paintings you can see flowers, most often withering. Each flower also carries its own information, for example, a rose is a symbol of sex and love, it is vain, just like a person.

It is quite curious that in the vanitas style images there are soap bubbles, which would seem (in our usual perception) a symbol of the joy of life. But here everything is more complicated: in these pictures, a soap bubble means a short-term existence. And how easily it can burst indicates the suddenness of death. Other iconic attributes of this genre include candles (smoldering or extinguishing), filled goblets, playing cards, smoking pipes, carnival masks, mirrors and broken dishes...

One could spend a long time listing the objects found in paintings in the vanitas genre, and even longer trying to interpret their meaning. But it will be more important to say the main thing: vanitas is an art that makes us think and rethink a lot.

(Latin vanitas, lit. - “vanity, vanity”) - a genre of painting of the Baroque era, an allegorical still life, the compositional center of which is traditionally the human skull. Similar paintings early stage development of still life, were intended to remind us of the transience of life, the futility of pleasures and the inevitability of death. It became most widespread in Flanders and the Netherlands in the 16th and XVII centuries, individual examples of the genre are found in France and Spain. The term goes back to the biblical verse (Eccl. 1:2) Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas (“Vanity of vanities, said Ecclesiastes, vanity of vanities, all is vanity!”).

Simon-Renard de Saint-André, c. 1650

The symbols found on the canvases were intended to remind us of the frailty of human life and the transience of pleasures and achievements:
The skull is a reminder of the inevitability of death. Just as a portrait is only a reflection of a once living person, so a skull is only the shape of a once living head. The viewer should perceive it as a “reflection”; it most clearly symbolizes the frailty of human life.
Rotten fruits are a symbol of aging. Ripe fruits symbolize fertility, abundance, figuratively wealth and prosperity. A number of fruits have their own meaning: the Fall is represented by pears, tomatoes, citrus fruits, grapes, peaches and cherries, and of course, the apple. Figs, plums, cherries, apples or peaches have erotic connotations.
Flowers (fading); rose is the flower of Venus, a symbol of love and sex, which is vain, like everything inherent in man. Poppy - depressant, from which opium is made, a symbol of the mortal sin of laziness. The tulip is a collectible in the 17th century Netherlands, a symbol of thoughtlessness, irresponsibility and unreasonable handling of a God-given fortune.
Sprouts of grain, branches of ivy or laurel (rarely) are a symbol of rebirth and the cycle of life.
Sea shells, sometimes live snails - a mollusk shell is the remains of a once living animal; it signifies death and mortality. The creeping snail is the personification of the mortal sin of laziness. Large clams denote duality of nature, a symbol of lust, another of the deadly sins.
Soap bubbles - the brevity of life and the suddenness of death; a reference to the expression homo bulla - “a person is a soap bubble.”
A dying, smoking candle (cinder) or oil lamp; cap for extinguishing candles - a burning candle is a symbol of the human soul, its extinguishing symbolizes departure.
Cups, playing cards or dice, chess (rarely) are a sign of an erroneous life goal, a search for pleasure and a sinful life. Equality of opportunity in gambling also meant reprehensible anonymity.
A smoking pipe is a symbol of fleeting and elusive earthly pleasures.
A carnival mask is a sign of the absence of a person inside it. Also intended for festive masquerade, irresponsible pleasure.
Mirrors, glass (mirror) balls - a mirror is a symbol of vanity, in addition, it is also a sign of reflection, shadow, and not a real phenomenon.
Broken dishes, usually glass glasses. An empty glass opposed to a full one symbolizes death. Glass symbolizes fragility, snow-white porcelain symbolizes purity. The mortar and pestle are symbols of male and female sexuality. The bottle is a symbol of the sin of drunkenness.
A knife reminds us of human vulnerability and mortality. It is also a phallic symbol and a hidden image of male sexuality.
Hourglass and mechanical watches - the transience of time.
Musical instruments, notes - the brevity and ephemeral nature of life, a symbol of the arts.
Books and maps (mappa mundi), writing pen - a symbol of science.
Globe, both the earth and the starry sky.
A palette with tassels, a laurel wreath (usually on the head of a skull) are symbols of painting and poetry.
Portraits beautiful women, anatomical drawings. Letters symbolize human relationships.
Red wax seals.
Medical instruments are a reminder of the diseases and frailty of the human body.
Wallets with coins, boxes with jewelry - jewelry and cosmetics are intended to create beauty, feminine attractiveness, at the same time they are associated with vanity, narcissism and the mortal sin of arrogance. They also signal the absence of their owners on the canvas.
Weapons and armor are a symbol of power and might, a designation of what cannot be taken with you to the grave.
Crowns and papal tiaras, scepters and orbs, wreaths of leaves are signs of transient earthly domination, which is opposed to the heavenly world order. Like masks, they symbolize the absence of those who wore them.
Keys - symbolize the power of the housewife managing supplies.
Ruins symbolize the transitory life of those who once inhabited them.
A sheet of paper with a moralizing (pessimistic) saying, for example:

Vanitas vanitatum; Ars longa vita brevis; Hodie mihi cras tibi (today for me, tomorrow for you); Finis gloria mundi; Memento mori; Homo bulla; In ictu oculi (in the blink of an eye); Aeterne pungit cito volat et occidit (the fame of heroic deeds will dissipate just like a dream); Omnia morte cadunt mors ultima linia rerum (everything is destroyed by death, death is the final boundary of all things); Nil omne (everything is nothing)

Very rarely still lifes of this genre include human figures, sometimes a skeleton - the personification of death. Objects are often depicted in disarray, symbolizing the overthrow of the achievements they represent.

Vanitas still lifes in their initial form were frontal images of skulls (usually in niches with a candle) or other symbols of death and mortality, which were written on the reverse of portraits during the Renaissance. These vanitas, as well as the flowers that were also painted on the backs, are the earliest examples of the still life genre in European art of the New Age (for example, the first Dutch still life was “Vanitas” by Jacob de Geyn). These skulls on the back of the portraits symbolized the mortality of human nature (mors absconditus) and were contrasted with the living state of the model on the back of the picture. The earliest vanitas are usually the most modest and gloomy, often almost monochrome. Vanitas still lifes emerged as an independent genre around 1550.
Artists of the 17th century stopped depicting the skull strictly frontally in the composition and usually “placed” it to the side. As the Baroque era progressed, these still lifes became more and more magnificent and abundant.
They gained popularity by the 1620s. The development of the genre until its decline in popularity around the 1650s. centered in Leiden, a Dutch city that Bergstrom, in his study of Netherlandish still life painting, declared "the center of the creation of vanitas in the 17th century." Leiden was an important center of Calvinism, a movement that condemned the moral depravity of mankind and strived for a strong moral code. Bergstrom believed that for Calvinist artists these still lifes were a warning against vanity and frailty and were an illustration of the Calvinist morality of the time. The formation of the genre was also probably influenced by humanistic views and the heritage of the memento mori genre.

Bartholomeus Brain the Elder, 1st. floor. 16th century Vanitas

Emblem of human mortality. At the same time, it is considered as a container for the soul, the life of a being, and has been endowed with special ritual value since Paleolithic times. Among the Celts, it was revered as the focus of sacred power, which protected a person from unfavorable forces and bestowed health and wealth. The skull is an attribute of Hindu hermits, sannyasins, as a sign of their renunciation of the world on the path to salvation. Also acts as an attribute of the formidable deities of the Tibetan pantheon. Taoist immortals (xian) are often depicted with an exorbitantly overgrown skull - a sign that they have accumulated a huge amount of yang energy in their brains.

H. Stanwyck. Vanitas

Muslims associate the famous saying that a person's fate is written on his forehead with the sutures of the skull, the curves of which resemble letters.

H. Stanwyck. Vanitas

The skull, like the scythe, and the old woman are included in the main matrix of symbols of death. The skull is an attribute of many images of Christian apostles and saints, such as St. Paul, St. Magdalene, St. Francis of Assisi. Hermits are often depicted with a skull, indicating their thoughts about death. On some icons, the crucifix is ​​depicted with a skull and crossbones at the base and serves as a reminder of death on the cross. According to one legend, this cross stood on the bones of Adam, and thanks to the crucifixion of the Savior on it, all people will gain eternal life.

Adrian van Utrecht. Still life with a bouquet and a skull.

In Western culture, death has been moved from its rightful place in life cycle, although it is the most ancient, like birth, the main biological function. The mechanisms of dying are developed by nature with the same attention as the mechanisms of birth, with concern for the welfare of the body, with the same abundance of genetic information for guidance in all phases of death, which we are accustomed to finding in critical situations of our lives. Therefore, death places its signs, carefully warns of its approach. It is not for nothing that the ancient “remember death” had to be expressed in symbolism and signs that are placed on the roads of life. Fortune tellers of various kinds had a human skull for various types witchcraft, for example, was placed at one’s head and the skull was called upon to tell the truth.

A. de Pereda. Vanitas

In alchemy, a “dead head” is a residue in a crucible, products of alchemical decay that are useless for further actions and transformations. In a figurative sense, it is something devoid of any content, a dead form, a kind of dross. The Sabines believed that the human soul descended precisely to the skull, so ritual bowls were made from skulls. Rabbi Maimonides burned myrtle around the skull, Rabbi Eleazar described the methods of making teraphim - they slaughtered the first-born, cut off the head, salted it and put a gold plate with an inscription under the tongue, after which they waited for messages from him. It was not for nothing that the teraphim kidnapped Rachel so that her head would not inform Laban that Jacob had fled. We see remnants of the Lemurian cult of teraphim in Christianity - Adam's Head, as well as in the occult Reich, where there was an order and an entire division called “Death's Head”. And even in modern life - one of the signs of the International Moscow Film Festival was the red head of the teraphim.

C. Stoskopf. Vanitas

Some peoples of Siberia had a custom: they put the head of a killed animal, for example, a bear, and asked its ancestral patron spirit for forgiveness for having to kill this animal. For Mexicans, the depths of the earth are given over to the skull. The black mark - the sign of the death's head among pirates and filibusters - was sent as a warning to those who were destined for death.
It is from the skull of the killed horse that the snake crawls out and stung Prophetic Oleg.

F. Gijsbrechts. Vanitas.

F. de Champagne. Still life with a skull. (Vanitas)

The white skull is a sign of the highest sephira, which releases dew and returns the dead to life. Scandinavian Odin always took with him the head of Mimir, which brought him news from other worlds. The story of Jacob de Molay's fiery skull symbolizes the vital life force, and this story began in 1314 when the Grand Master of the Knights Templar was burned at the stake. They say that the surviving Templars paid the executioner and he, after putting out the fire, took out the skull, which was then cleaned. Then the skull, along with the idol Baphomet, was sent to Scotland, from where, already at the time of the conquest of America by the Freemasons, it migrated to the town of Charleston, where it was deposited by modern Palladists. According to Albert Pike, during the contact of the highest ranks of the order with this skull, which rested on a black granite column, a light flashed inside the skull and flooded the entire room.

M. Harnett. Death and immortality. 1876

P. Klaas. Vanitas. 1628

P. Klaas. Vanitas.

According to another witness, the mythical doctor Bataille, flames burst out of the openings of the eye sockets: sometimes red, sometimes white, sometimes green, and these three rays were like fiery snakes. In addition to its fiery properties, the skull had the power of a curse. He spoke blasphemous words during the fire ritual. Indeed, during his execution in 1314, Jacob de Molay cursed the three main culprits in the trial of the order - Pope Clement V, who died 40 days after the death of the master, and a few months later died of an unknown terrible disease and Philip the Handsome, then the same fate was shared by his three sons, who died one after another within 14 years. People called them “damned kings.” Further development of the legend attributes to Jacob de Molay the prophecy that the dynasty of French kings would end on the chopping block. And the curse came true: in 1786. Louis XVI was condemned to death at a Masonic meeting, and three years later, during the Revolution, he was beheaded.

Jurian van Streck, ca. 1670. Vanitas

J. Linar. Vanitas. 1644

In the Tibetan tradition, along the line of Karma Pa (black crown), there was a complex multi-stage meditation on human bones, which allowed a person to overcome the fear of death, without forgetting the frailty of life. Also in Tibet there was a dripping bowl, a ritual vessel made from a human skull. This ritual object was represented as a symbol of compassion, since, according to the figurative representation, the blood of all deeply feeling beings was placed in it.

Sebastien Bonnecroix, Still Life with Skull