Vanitas Still Life

Creator Name

Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor

Cultural Context

Dutch

Date

Creation: 17th century

Source

Rijksmuseum

About the Work

Curationist Object Description

Skulls, femur bones, and flowers are scattered on the table of Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor's Vanits still life. Vanitas is a genre used to illustrate the brevity of life and the inevitable passage of time. It was especially popular among European artists and Christians from the 13th century to the 17th century.

Skulls, like the many in this 17th-century painting, represent the head of Death. In context, the persistent symbol reminded viewers to face death courageously, without fear.

Rijksmuseum Object Description

Vanitas stilleven met schedels, botten, rozen, een zandloper en een brandende kaars op een stenen tafel of plint. Tegen de muur een plankje met documenten met zegels en boeken.

Work details

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Title

Vanitas Still Life

Creator

Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor (link to bio), Painter

Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor, schilder, painter;
Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor, schilder, painter

Worktype

painting; schilderij

Cultural Context

Dutch

Material

doek; canvas; oil paint (paint); olieverf

Dimensions

outer size: depth 7 cm (support incl. SK-L-6432);
support: height 63.5 cm x width 73 cm;
buitenmaat: diepte 7 cm (drager incl. SK-L-6432);
drager: hoogte 63,5 cm x breedte 73 cm

Technique

Oil painting

Language

Date

Creation: 17th century

c. 1660 - c. 1665, ca. 1660 - ca. 1665

Provenance

…; ? anonymous sale [section Rotteveel], Amsterdam (C.F. Roos et al.), 26 January 1869 _sqq._, no. 213 (‘Doodshoofden’), fl. 5.25, to Hopman;{Copy RKD.} sale, Jan Hendrick Cremer (1813-1885, Arnhem and Ixelles), Amsterdam (F. Muller et al.), 26 October 1886, no. 81, fl. 149.50, to R.W.P. de Vries, for the museum{NHA, ARS, IS, inv. 166, nos. 100-01 (25 October 1886), 102 (26 October 1886).}

Style Period

Mannerism

Rights

Public domain

Inscription

Location

Source

Rijksmuseum

Subjects

Descriptive Topic: Bone, Candle, Flower, Memento mori

hourglass; 'Vanitas' still life; death's head, skull (symbol of Death)

Topic