I chose the art work ‘Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life` by a dutch painter, Harmen Steenwyck (*1612 ✝1956). Today this painting is in the National Gallery in London, it is estimated that the painting was drawn in ca. 1640. The Dutch Vanities Painting is made by oil on oak panel.
In the painting you can see a skull, which might symbolise death. The books, which symbolise knowledge, and the flute, which represents the pleasure of music, both also represent luxuries of life. The shell and the Japanese sword represent wealth, as only a rich collector would have them. The sword might also represent military power. Also the purple silk cloth represents wealth, as it is a very expensive cloth and at that time purple was the most expensive colour. The pocket watch and the oil lamp, which has just been ceased, symbolise the passing of life and the transience of human life. The object in the painting are all in a triangle which fills half of the painting, the other half of the painting is empty, there is only a beam of light, which makes the panting more dramatic and illuminates the skull.
Harmen Steenwyck uses oil on oak panel. By painting many layers of oil paint he can create the different textures of the objects (the reflections of metal, the translucency of the bone, the smoothness of silk, the texture of wood etc.). In this painting Harmen Steenwyck also drew many different forms like the organic forms of the scull and the shell, the form of the cloth, the books, the oil lamp and the form of the sword. The artist didn’t use and bright colours as it would destroy the atmosphere of the picture and since there are so many different textures and forms it would be too different and the viewer had too much to concentrate on.
Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life, Harmen Steenwyck, about 1640, 39 cm x 50 cm, oil on oak panel
Still-Life of Fruit and Dead Fowl, Harmen Steenwyck, about 1650, 78 cm x 102 cm, oil on panel
A Still Life of Dead Birds and Fruit, Harmen Steenwyck, about 1650, 43 cm x 56 cm, Oil on panel
Still Life with Fruit, Harmen Steenwyck, 1647-49, 41 cm x 52 cm, oil on panel
Bibliography: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harmen_Steenwijck_-_Still-Life_of_Fruit_and_ Dead_Fowl_-_WGA21765.jpg http://germany.intofineart.com/htmlimg/image-31384.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/harmen-van-steenwyck http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/still-life-with-fruit-142790
Bibliography: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harmen_Steenwijck_-_Still-Life_of_Fruit_and_ Dead_Fowl_-_WGA21765.jpg http://germany.intofineart.com/htmlimg/image-31384.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/harmen-van-steenwyck http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/still-life-with-fruit-142790
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