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Vanitas Still Life with a Candlestick, Musical Instruments, Dutch Books, a Writing Set, an Astrological and a Terrestial Globe and an Hourglass, All on a Draped Table by Evert Collier

Evert Collier · 1662-01-01

Evert Collier's 1662 painting, "Vanitas Still Life with a Candlestick, Musical Instruments, Dutch Books, a Writing Set, an Astrological and a Terrestial Globe and an Hourglass, All on a Draped Table," on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, is a masterclass in trompe-l'oeil.

Look closely at how Collier rendered textures: the crumpled sealed letter, the gleaming brass of the trumpet, and the worn leather of the "VANITAS VANITATUM" book. Each object feels tangible, a testament to his skill in making paint look like reality.

Collier was a Dutch Golden Age still-life painter, celebrated for his ability to create illusions of three-dimensionality. His vanitas works, like this one, explore the fleeting nature of life and the futility of worldly possessions, even as they showcase his enduring artistic talent.

How many layers of illusion can you spot?

Details

He made paint look like crumpled paper, like this letter.
He made paint look like crumpled paper, like this letter.
The brass trumpet gleams with painted reflections.
The brass trumpet gleams with painted reflections.
Every scratch on the leather book feels real.
Every scratch on the leather book feels real.
Even the clear glass of the hourglass fools the eye.
Even the clear glass of the hourglass fools the eye.
This is a painted world, designed to seem tangible.
This is a painted world, designed to seem tangible.
Transcript

This painter was a master of optical illusion. He made paint look like crumpled paper, like this letter. The brass trumpet gleams with painted reflections. Every scratch on the leather book feels real. Even the clear glass of the hourglass fools the eye. This is a painted world, designed to seem tangible.