Artwork
Vanits still life
Vanits still life is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This oil painting, titled Vanitas Still Life, presents a somber arrangement of objects on a dark surface.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a classic vanitas assemblage arranged on a shelf: a human skull with its femur, maxilla and a lone tooth lie beside an hourglass whose sand has run out, a guttering candle in its holder, and a partially opened book sealed with a wax stamp. A single rose bud and a faintly visible rose suggest the fleeting beauty of life, while the scattered bones and extinguishing flame underscore the inevitability of decay. Together these objects form a memento mori, reminding the viewer that earthly pursuits, knowledge and pleasure are transient and that death ultimately claims all.
Technique & Style
It belongs to the vanitas genre and depicts a skull, femur, maxilla, tooth, hourglass, candle, flame, candlestick, book, seal, rose and bud arranged on a rack.
The painting, dated 1650, is an oil work on canvas measuring about 63.5 × 73 cm. It belongs to the vanitas genre and depicts a skull, femur, maxilla, tooth, hourglass, candle, flame, candlestick, book, seal, rose and bud arranged on a rack. Van der Schoor used the fine brushwork and chiaroscuro characteristic of Dutch Golden Age still lifes, applying oil paint to create subtle tonal shifts and a luminous surface. The canvas is stretched and primed, and the composition balances symbolic objects within a tight spatial framework, demonstrating meticulous handling of light and texture.
History & Provenance
The painting Vanitas still life was created by Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor in 1650. After its completion, the work passed into the collection of Jan Hendrik Cremer, who is listed as a prior owner in the provenance record. It is now part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection in Amsterdam, executed in oil on canvas and measuring 63.5 by 73 centimeters.
The sources do not mention a specific commission, nor do they provide an accession number or a detailed chronology of the work’s exhibition history.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Vanitas Still Life, presents a somber arrangement of objects on a dark surface. It features a collection of human bones, including skulls and jawbones, interspersed with a few red roses and a small onion. The background reveals a shelf holding books and a lit candle, whose flame casts a subtle glow over the scene.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbert Jansz. van der Schoor (1603–1672) was an artist, born in Utrecht.
