Vanitas

This “Vanitas” represents a warning on the transient nature of human existence realised by Jacopo Ligozzi. The artist depicted a human head in an advanced stage of decomposition with an analytic attention similar to the one of the naturalistic illustrations that he realised for the Medici court. The presence of a human head and a book is a symbol of the limits humans' cognitive efforts, while the houglass on the right symbolizes the passing of time. The work is remarkable for the quality of its execution and for its emotional impact.