Titelprent met een tekenaar zittend op een boomstronk 1783

Robert Brichet created this print of a draughtsman in the 18th century. Note the skulls at the feet of the artist. The skull is an ancient symbol, a potent reminder of mortality, often found in vanitas paintings to prompt reflection on life's transience. In ancient Roman art, skulls appeared in funerary portraits, expressing not only grief but also a stoic acceptance of fate. We see the skull, too, in the memento mori tradition, urging us to remember death. Here, however, the artist studies the skull, seeking to understand human anatomy. The skull takes on a new dimension as an object of scientific inquiry, echoing the Renaissance shift towards empirical observation and the quest for knowledge. By drawing it, the artist engages with profound questions about existence, knowledge, and the human condition. The cyclical journey of this symbol reminds us of its enduring power to provoke thought and emotion across time.