Vanitas Still Life 1662

Edwaert Collier created this Vanitas Still Life with oil on canvas sometime in the second half of the 17th century. It's a powerful statement on the transience of earthly life. Born in Breda, Collier spent most of his life in Leiden, a university town buzzing with intellectual life. These northern European still lifes, popular in the 1600s, captured anxieties about the rise of secularism, and the growth of scientific knowledge. The objects, all painted with incredible skill, offer a feast for the eyes. But the globe, books, musical instruments, and smoking pipe remind us that worldly pleasures and intellectual pursuits fade away like smoke. The skull lurking at the back casts a shadow on the whole scene. As an art historian, I see this work as part of the culture of print, science and exploration. To truly understand this painting, we need to explore the history of Dutch science, religion, and art institutions. Ultimately, Vanitas Still Life asks us to consider what truly lasts.