Life is fleeting, pleasure is futile and the only certainty is death. Such are the realities reflected by vanitas paintings. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the subjects were symbolic items such as the classic half-peeled lemon, broken bread, wine, hourglasses, skulls and so on. The composition itself was always very unsteady, almost as if its components could collapse at any moment, reminding its viewers of the fragility of life’s balance.
Spanish painter, Fernando Vicente, has perhaps put the message out more bluntly. Instead of classic symbols, he uses humans as a direct medium. Just by naming this series “Vanitas”, the paintings take on so much meaning. They could even be viewed as a social commentary, pointing the finger at excess and vanity so often praised by the masses. His mock-magazine cover is a great example. I would definitely like to have a couple of these hanging on my living room walls.
View more of Vicente’s extensive work here.
Spanish painter, Fernando Vicente, has perhaps put the message out more bluntly. Instead of classic symbols, he uses humans as a direct medium. Just by naming this series “Vanitas”, the paintings take on so much meaning. They could even be viewed as a social commentary, pointing the finger at excess and vanity so often praised by the masses. His mock-magazine cover is a great example. I would definitely like to have a couple of these hanging on my living room walls.
View more of Vicente’s extensive work here.
1 comment:
Great great ilustrations, the theam is cool too.
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