Vanitasstilleven in een nis 1658 - 1677

Wallerant Vaillant made this mezzotint called 'Vanitasstilleven in een nis' in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The image encapsulates key ideas about the transience of life and earthly pursuits. A skull rests on a book beside a candle about to burn out. The image is titled 'Memento Mori', meaning 'remember you must die'. The Dutch Golden Age saw an explosion in the popularity of still life paintings, particularly those with 'vanitas' themes which served as moralizing allegories. The cultural context of the time, shaped by Calvinist beliefs, emphasized modesty, restraint, and the recognition of life's brevity. The Rijksmuseum, where this print is housed, plays a key role in preserving and interpreting this cultural heritage. Historians delve into the socio-political context to understand how the 'vanitas' tradition reflected a society grappling with prosperity and mortality. By consulting period texts, religious sermons, and economic records, we gain insight into the complex relationship between art and the values of its time. Art's meaning is always contingent on its time.