Preview

Claesz's Vanitas Still Life

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
193 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Claesz's Vanitas Still Life
A vanitas still life are paintings, mainly by 17th century Dutch artists, that center around themes of death (Kleiner 748). Each piece has certain features relating to memento mori, or a reminder of death ( Kleiner 748). These still lifes became popular as a result of the Dutch rejecting the popular age of Baroque Europe which focused on religious themes. The Dutch took on the idea of the Protestant dismissal of such religious themes (Kleiner 748). Therefore, their vanitas still lifes combined the concept of beauty with a scientific perspective (Kleiner 748). This meant all the works of art had different elements that alluded to death. An example of vanitas still life can be seen in Claesz’s Vanitas Still Life. The piece depicts all sorts of
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Gerrit Van Honthorst: Art Analysis
    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gerrit Van Honthorst: Art Analysis

    He was a greatly influenced by Caravaggio. In 1610, van Honthorst, moved to Italy to study Caravaggio’s realism and dramatic use of artificial light (Gerrit van Honthorst). Caravaggio is one of the most widely imitated artists in the history of Western art. Many of Caravaggio’s followers, including van Honthorst, were particularly interested in Caravaggio’s paintings of the underbelly of Rome’s street-life (Benay). His followers were most likely struck by Caravaggio’s ability to grant subjects dignity that was not necessarily consistant with the lowly actions shown in the painting (Benay). The image, Smiling Girl, a Courtesan Holding an Obscene Image, clearly shows van Honthorst’s use of Caravaggio’s technique of making subjects that were engaging in unseemly behavior still look dignified. Gerrit van Honthorst returned to the Netherlands in 1620, after studying the methods of Caravaggio. Van Honthorst stayed in Utrecht until 1627. Although van Honthorst continued to paint using Caravaggio's techniques in his works, by 1624 a number of his painting began to depart from the usual stylistic formula of his fellow Caravaggisti; artificial illumination was used less frequently in his major compositions (Errata: Gerrit van Honthorst: A Discussion of His Position in Dutch Art, 1962). Van Honthorst’s most significant contribution to Dutch art was his leadership, of the Utrecht followers of Caravaggio. It…

    • 1404 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rogier Van Der Weyden Analysis
    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rogier Van Der Weyden Analysis

    Van der Weyden compresses in this painting the most important story of the humanity with a maximum amount of human emotions and suffering. The Deposition is among the outstanding masterpieces of Netherlands' art, and one of the mainstays of Rogier's fame. As the work of a painter aged 35 to 40, it can hardly be described as a youthful production, yet only with this painting can we begin to see Rogier more clearly as an artistic personality. Most important of all, the picture shows unmistakable similarities with some of his major work…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Mary Anablo Guercino Analysis
    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mary Anablo Guercino Analysis

    Despite their visual dissimilarities, both artworks illustrate the message of memento mori through the representation of a skull, a common symbol of death. In trying to make a connection between the artworks, one could conclude that each attempts to influences the audience to accept approaching death. Nonetheless, the context of each artwork is vague with mystery as the audience is left to further contemplate the underlying message and…

    • 705 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Art Essay Ricky Swallow and Patricia Piccinini
    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Art Essay Ricky Swallow and Patricia Piccinini

    Further supporting this notion is another of Swallow’s works, Come Together. Similarly this work utilises a skull to suggest the idea of death. It creates an…

    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis of an Artwork: Vanitas by Jean de Valdes Leal
    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis of an Artwork: Vanitas by Jean de Valdes Leal

    There are many works of art that focus on the materialistic aspect of mankind, as well as life and death. However, few works merge these themes together seamlessly into one, in a way that makes sense and seems effortless. Vanitas by Juan de Valdés Leal (Getlein, 15) is a work that achieves the combination of the materialistic theme with the theme of life and death. Leal is able to illustrate elements concerning both the fleeting moment of life along with the subsequent uselessness of materialistic possessions within one’s lifetime. Vanitas is an oil painting composed by Juan de Valdés Leal, in 1660. The work currently resides in the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Meiping Vase Analysis
    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Meiping Vase Analysis

    The composition shows prosthesis; which a ritual in Greek who practice the dead, It shows the reasons it was made by showing the deceased laid upon a bier surrounded by members of his household and, at either side, mourners. For optimal clarity, the dead man is shown on his side, and the checkered shroud that would normally cover the body has been raised and regularized into a long rectangle with two projections. The zone below shows a procession of chariots and foot soldiers. Both of the vases have similarities based on the things the images shows. The geometric krater is a funerary scene and the Meiping vase has flowers which indicate a plum tree which can mean bring new life or new upbringings.…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Maestro Essay
    • 1138 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Maestro Essay

    Likewise McLean has utilised particular metaphors to broaden reader’s minds upon the personal experiences of Vincent Van Gogh. The metaphor ‘Portraits hung in empty halls’ proves that Van Gogh’s paintings were unappreciated whilst he was alive. This metaphorical language therefore depicts an image of emptiness towards Van Gogh proving the defining statement that McLean comments on historical and emotional values through the use of imagery.…

    • 1138 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kroisos Symbolism
    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kroisos Symbolism

    The Greeks believed that, when death occurs, the spirit leaves, then the body prepared for burial. The Kroisos Kouros is a free-standing archaic grave marker representing a male youth. In particular, Kroisos is a marble statue used to mark the resting place of a male warrior. The Kroisos suggests the idea of immortality as the statues represent the warrior. Grave markers are primarily dedicated to a person, depiction of living family members indicates the necessity, for a public display of the family relationship. The grave stele of Thrasynos, parents are bidding farewell to their Son as he journeys into the afterlife. 1 The naturalism of the Kroisos is in distinct contrast to the realism of the grave stele of Thrasynos.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Comparing The Shawl And The Masque Of The Red Death
    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Comparing The Shawl And The Masque Of The Red Death

    In Cynthia Ozick 's The Shawl the image of death is introduced in the opening paragraph, when the narrator graphically explains that Rosa 's breasts does not have enough milk to feed baby Magda - who sometimes screams because there is nothing for her to…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Stiff: Lives Of Human Cadavers
    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Essay On Stiff: Lives Of Human Cadavers

    Although each work is from a different literary genre –non-fiction, a play, a poem– the value of human life is questioned, capitalizing on the revival quality of death rather than the assumption that death is the end of life.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Book Thief Essay
    • 1395 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Book Thief Essay

    of view, Death gives an imagery of being both an idea and a physical person. This evokes…

    • 1395 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Final Paper
    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Final Paper

    Art is one aspect of the past that has carried on for decades. Art in any form may it be poetry, novels, and playwright, sculpting as well as painting, has been an outlet for generations and continues to be an outlet and a means for expression. This paper will discuss “ The Mona Lisa” one of Da Vinci’s most famous paintings, as well as another great painting, Antonio Veneziano’s “Virgin and Child”(c. 1380). Both paintings focus on the human form and exhibit many variations of styles from lines, shading, color and possible meanings behind the work.…

    • 1446 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of The Prohibition
    • 174 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of The Prohibition

    There was extremely weak enforcement. Law officials did not at all anticipate so many people to not follow the law, they didn’t have nearly enough resources to catch all of the criminals of the alcohol trade. The laws were easily broken; borders and ports were impossible to guard completely. The Prohibition created a massive black market which cut into the economy and created thousands of criminals. A study of 30 major U.S cities between 1920 and 1921 the number of crimes increased by 24%, and drug addiction increased by 44.6%.…

    • 174 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Art Essay
    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Art Essay

    When involved with life’s daily routines it seems as if time on earth will go on without end. Priorities become distorted, but vanitas paintings remind us that life’s journey has an end, and the things we concern ourselves with aren’t all that important when looking at the big picture of life and death. Although the mortality theme is in each vanitas, the artists express their meaning individually with use of color, iconography, and other artistic techniques. Two vanitas that are worth comparing are the Wheel of Fortune that was painted in 1977 by Audrey Flack and Vanitas, painted by Juan de Valdes in 1660.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Process Of Aging
    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Process Of Aging

    To work together on the article, we chose to alternate turns, each first reading out a passage and then summarizing what he had read to the others.…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics