Oil on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.
Signed certificate of authenticity.
This artwork comes with an external frame
The theme of Vanitas in Still-life is an age old motif and one I continually like to explore. They serve as a reminder of our own mortality and the futility in coveting the material wealth we cannot take with us once we have passed. The symbolism here is plain enough. The skull has long been a motif of the inevitability of death with the pocket watch alluding to the passing of time. A gold chain and a few silver coins sit in the middle of the painting representing the dangerous allures of the material world. In my own exploration of the theme my inclusion of books and writing implements serve as a reminder that though we may be mortal there are things we can yet leave behind that are of true and intrinsic value. This stark contrast with the motif of death is a reminder that though our time here is short, we still have the power to pass on and record things of importance & achieve feats that which will transcend our own existence.