Examples of vanitas in the following topics:
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- Still life paintings often had an underlying moralistic message concerning the brevity of life, a trait exemplified by the "vanitas."
- A vanitas is a symbolic still life painting that is meant to illustrate the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transience of all earthly pursuits.
- Vanitas paintings were very popular in 17th century Flemish and Dutch work, and they often depict symbols such as skulls, flowers, rotting fruit, clocks, watches, smoke, and hourglasses, all of which are meant to convey the ephemeral nature of life on earth.
- An example of a vanitas from the 17th century by Franciscus Gysbrechts.
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- This is known as the vanitas theme.
- The vanitas theme was included in explicit symbols, such as a skull, or less obvious symbols such as a half-peeled lemon (representing life: sweet in appearance but bitter to taste).