A reminder of mortality, the fragile line between life and death.
Vanitas - Still Life with Books and Manuscripts and a Skull, Edwaert Collier, 1663, From the collection of: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
Memento mori, even known as Vanitas paintings, is a genre with a symbology referring to death and afterlife. A reminder our of mortality, with attempts to bring knowledge about the abstraction in earthly life.
Dead Christ with Lamenting Angels, Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra, 1650, From the collection of: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Motif of this kind became increasingly common during the baroque and renaissance, a period where "real-life" questions and fears came into their minds.
Initially, it was within the Christian art as subjects considering the vanity of earthly life became a regular occurrence.
The Art of d Dying " Ars moriendi" - became popular representations in Christian art. A genre in which putti and angels were frequent elements.
St.Hieronymos, Unknow artist, circle of Jan Massys, 16th century, From the collection of: The Art Museum RIGA BOURSE
Portrait du Caravage (Portrait of Caravaggio), Henri Simon Thomassin, 1687/1741, From the collection of: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Still Life with a Boy Blowing Soap-bubbles, Gerard Dou, c. 1635-36, From the collection of: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
A little boy blowing soap-bubbles with raised gaze toward the mysterious basket in front of him. A basket of hourglass, skull and feathered cap. Which symbolize our limits, in time and space
Still Life with a Boy Blowing Soap-bubbles, Gerard Dou, c. 1635-36, From the collection of: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
Pronkstillleven with Fruit and Fowl, Abraham Hendricksz. van Beyeren, c. 1651, From the collection of: Kunstpalast
Vanitas (Old Coquette), Bernardo Strozzi, Around 1637, From the collection of: The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts
Ageing as part of the human life process, but also a reminder of life's finiteness...
Self-Portrait, Edvard Munch, 1895, From the collection of: The Munch Museum, Oslo
Kiss of a Death, Bohumil Kubišta, 1912 - 1912, From the collection of: Regional Gallery in Liberec
Bohumil Kubišta was strongly influenced by Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Particularly similarities with the abstract cubist paintings.
He may also be seen as a great example of modern Memento mori imagery. With a number of still-life paintings.
Life and Death, Lee, Il Ho, 2010, From the collection of: Korean Art Museum Association
Credits: All media
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