Vanitas
| Artist | Juan Francisco Carrión (Spanish, 1626–1680) |
|---|---|
| Title | Vanitas |
| Date | 1672 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | Framed: 46 3/16 × 39 7/8 × 2 1/4 in. (117.3 × 101.3 × 5.7 cm) Stretcher: 40 3/8 x 34 1/8 in. (102.6 x 86.7 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Henry D. and Sidney Hill, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 59.46 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A still life painting with three shelves stacked vertically. There are books, papers, a bottle, quills, an inkpot, an hourglass, and a skull on the shelves. The colors are muted and dark.
Vanitas paintings, a type of still life featuring symbolic content, offer commentary on the transience of life. In this work, the hourglass symbolizes the passage of time, and the skull represents the inevitability of death. This still life emphasizes books, many by Spanish author Francisco de Quevedo (1580–1645), who penned several meditations on death and morality. The artist himself may have composed the poem that appears to emanate from the mouth of the skull, offering advice to the still living viewer. Vanitas subjects were especially popular in areas affected by the Counter-Reformation, including Spain.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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"Vanitas | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=59.46