Vanitasstilleven met een schedel en een viool 1670 - 1713

"Vanitasstilleven met een schedel en een viool" is a 17th-century etching by Dutch artist Pieter Schenk, a genre known as "vanitas." This style of artwork features objects that symbolize the transience of life and the inevitability of death, like the skull, a symbol of mortality. The violin and the book represent the beauty and knowledge that are lost with death. An angel at the top of the composition suggests the spiritual nature of the afterlife. This work is an example of the Dutch Golden Age of art, reflecting a profound contemplation of life and its fragility, reminding viewers to cherish their time.