Vanitas

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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

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About this Work

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.

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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