Dimensions: support: 838 x 1079 mm frame: 1004 x 1242 x 70 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Edward Collier's "Still Life with a Volume of Wither's 'Emblemes'". It feels almost theatrical, this collection of objects bathed in dramatic light. What do you make of this arrangement? Curator: It’s a poignant reminder, isn’t it? The skull whispers of mortality, juxtaposed with the lute and sheet music, symbols of fleeting pleasures. It's like Collier is asking, "What will remain when the music fades?" Does it make you think about what truly lasts? Editor: Absolutely. The "Vanitas" scroll confirms it. The symbolism is intense! I’ll definitely be pondering that for a while. Curator: Me too.
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tate about 2 months ago
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collier-still-life-with-a-volume-of-withers-emblemes-n05916
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tate about 2 months ago
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In this still-life painting the musical instruments, wine and jewels represent the fleeting pleasures of life, while the skull and hour-glass symbolise the inevitability of death. The open book shows a brief poem emphasising the theme of mortality. The Latin inscription in the top left corner comes from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes: ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity’. This is why such pictures are known as vanitas paintings. Born in the Netherlands, Collier arrived in England in 1693 to produce still-life paintings like this to sell to the English market. He died in London in 1708. Gallery label, February 2016
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