Pieter Claesz – Vanitas Still Life Analysis by: Cici Guan

Pieter Claesz

Vanitas Still Life

Oil on panel

1630

Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands

Memento mori is an artistic or symbolic trope of death acting as a reminder of the

inevitability of death, example an object such as a skull. Memento mori is a Latin phrase
with the meaning “Remember you must die.” Pieter Claesz’s artwork, 1630 “Vantias Still
Life” is an example of Memento mori.

Claesz’s artwork represents a set of objects such as a candlestick holding the waxencrusted
stub of a flaming candle, a watch, a letter with a quill and an inkpot. There’s also a flower in
front of a skull and a walnut are arranged on a table. Every object displayed in the painting
established repertoire of Vanitas symbolism and alludes to the passing of time and to
mortality. The flower at the edge of the table is an anemone. It appears newly picked; the
petals and the leaves are still fresh. The use of colour chosen by Claesz’s in his artwork is
mainly warm and light to create a balance usage of complimentary colours from the candle
flame, the skull, paper and the watch. Lastly, the use of shape is amorphous as the objects
displayed in the artwork are solid.

My work is inspired by Pieter Claesz’s artwork because both of our works have the concept
of Memento Mori. My artwork uses shape and lines since my work is a lino print and Claesz
only used shape. Claesz’s artwork displays a skull and a candle.

My work represents Memento mori because the front of the pumpkin’s face displays a
horrifying skull while its rotting with the candle is melting away and the flame slowly
vanishing. The elements I’ve included in my work is organic shape because the pumpkin
shape, its eyes and the nose as the dominant element. The positive area of my work is the
outline of the border, the plate with the pumpkin lantern placed with its facial features and
the candle’s outline. The negative area of my work is the background, the main part of the
pumpkin, the plate and the candle with the flame.

My artwork is an inspiration of Pieter Claesz with the concept Memento mori, a traditional
concept in visual art and still-life painting.