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Cassandra Karas  //  If you want to know some thing about me just ask.

Dec 1 / 3:39pm

Historical overview of "A Vanitas Still Life" (DSS)

 

Flemishschool02
Paintings from the Baroque time period have a way of connecting with the viewer. Baroque is big, bold, and has an eerie realistic quality about them. the subjects are very direct. The 17th century Flemish oil painting A Vanitas Still Life located at are very own Flint Institute of Art (FIA) was formally dated 1620 a but not signed so unfortunately the artist is unknown.  This artist used an interesting technique when composing this particular piece were most Vanitas still life’s use similar subjects or symbols of death or transience (skulls, clocks, burning candles, and flowers) this piece adds in the element or text almost as if it were an encyclopedia of Vanitas paintings. Each Vanitas object has its own motto of explication. 

“The skull has the most prominent motto: it says, as if speaking to the viewer, "I was as you are now; you will be in the future as I am." The vase of flowers with its central tulip and fallen petals is labeled "As the beauty of the flower does not last long, a person also quickly fades." Above the hourglass are the words "Time runs fast, all youthful grace vanished before one is aware of it." The lower half of the marker of time is called "a metal of oblivion." On the slip of paper in the lower left, is a command of caution: "Look and pray, or you will face no day of peace." In the center, the book’s long, two-page poem refers to all these objects:

O human being, you are a wandering guest on earth. Flesh is the hay of the Lord, like a garden flower which by cultivation reaches a higher level of quality (page 59.) As a lit candle has to burn, So a man once born must fall into the hands of death (page 60.)”(Kelly 1)

                     The motto displayed next to each object really helps to explain the main idea behind a Vanitas painting. The word vanity comes from the word Vanitas and the main idea behind a Vanitas still life’s were to display monetary positions in a casual setting like what you would find on a end table or dresser. Like flowers, candles, and books, but the symbolism of death is always slipped in, like the fact that the flowers peddles are falling off or the candle is almost burned out, theses paintings are used to tell the viewer to enjoy what you have while you have because nothing lasts forever, beauty fades, the candle will burn out and death comes to everyone.         

The formal elements of this piece are congruent with the time period. The use of line, shape, space, color, and light are brought together to form a well balanced composition. The use of line is used to move your eye the lines formed by the front and back edge of cement table cantaned your line of site horizontally and the edge of the book placed in the center of the composition pulls your eye diagonally backwards moving your eye from the skull on your left hand side to the hourglass on the right.

One of the most important Baroque qualities is the use of space. When it comes to baroque there is no wasted space. The object in this picture are large, bold, and close to the picture plain like a cropped photo, the pictures main focus is strait to the point and in your face no wasted space and no extra back ground noise to distract from the point.

The use of space to its fullest extent is only one way that the artist illustrated the intensity of the piece another is the use of light. In this case the light technique is called Tenebrism extreme light to dark contrast, in this piece the Tenebrism is not as prominent as in other paintings like it but it is there. The slight Tenebrism is achieved by this artist pleasing the objects agents a flat black background, and by using the spot light effect. The spot light is what really gives the piece a dramatic theatrical feel.

 

The theater has an influence on many painting from this time period because it is the time the theater first started taking hold in Europe. The theatrical effects in this piece are the spotlight and the use of movement, which may surprise people because this is a “still” life. Even though the movement is small but it is there. The movement is shown in the flowers, the peddles of the tulips are falling and some look as if they could fall at any moment. Other concepts of movement are seen in the hour glass and the candle. The sand of the hour glass gives the viewer the impression to be falling, and the flame of the candle is implied to be flickering and dying out.  

This painting is one of my favorites at the FIA. I’ve been to the FIA many times and no matter what amazing new piece or exhibit may come to our local museum I always make it a point to go visit this one. Although the piece is vary simple and some may say there’s not much to compared to other works of art, I personally feel that there’s a kind of mystery about A Vanitas Still Life that keeps me coming back. It could be the message that every Vanitas painting brings to the viewer or maybe the lack of background knowledge behind it. 

 

 

Works Cited

Kelly, Raymond J, III. August 15, 2006. http://www.steigrad.com/cat/flemishschool02.html