Still Life. Skull and Writing Quill 1628

Pieter Claesz's "Still Life. Skull and Writing Quill" (1628), housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is a prime example of the 17th-century Dutch vanitas still life genre. This painting features a human skull, a writing quill, and a book, all objects symbolizing the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. Claesz's skillful use of light and shadow, combined with meticulous detail, creates a striking image that invites contemplation on mortality. The inclusion of a smoking oil lamp further reinforces the theme of time passing and the ephemeral nature of existence.