A Table with Drinking Vessel and Confectionery 1645 - 1688

Georg Hainz painted this still life with oil on canvas during the 17th century. The composition is rich with symbols of vanitas, inviting contemplation on the transience of earthly pleasures. Consider the peeled citrus fruit, a motif which can be traced back to classical antiquity. This fruit, once a symbol of fertility and abundance, here represents the fleeting nature of sensory indulgence. We see echoes of this theme in Roman mosaics, where overflowing cornucopias are juxtaposed with skulls to remind us of mortality. Similarly, the cherubic figure supporting the laden bowl, a symbol of worldly excess, carries with it an inherent tension. This tension between abundance and mortality, beauty and decay, is a psychological drama. The symbolism of the vanitas invites us to confront our mortality while indulging in the sensory richness of the present moment.