MEMENTO MORI
In the 17th century, a dark genre of still-life painting flourished in Europe, particularly the Netherlands. 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.
Vanitas are closely related to the earlier tradition of memento mori—Latin for “remember you must die”—artworks intended to prompt viewers to consider their mortality. Memento mori began appearing on the back of portraits in 15th-century Europe, often featuring skulls painted within a niche, and accompanied by an admonitory motto. That message would remind the sitter that while they may desire to have their appearance immortalized, the only way to preserve their soul in the afterlife is to lead a virtuous life.
From Cath Pound, "These Lush 17th-Century Paintings Were Striking Reminders of Mortality" (www.artsy.net)
Jan Gossaet, exterior panel of Carondelet Diptych, 1517
Edouard Collier, The Vanities, 1663
Jan Jansz, Vanitas Still Life, 1648
William Claesz, Still Life with Tazza, Tobacco and Peeled Lemon, 1633
Clara Peeters, Still Life with Crab, Shrimp and Lobster, 1630-45
Antonio de Pereda, Allegory of Transience, ca. 1640
Hans Holbein, The Ambassadors, 1533
