Still Life 1958

Pedro Coronel painted this still life with oil paint, evoking a complex interplay of forms and symbols. The bottles, rendered in varied shades of green, stand as silent witnesses, echoing the vanitas tradition where material objects hint at life's transience. The half-face is reminiscent of ancient Roman portraiture busts; notice how the face is split in two, one part is light and the other is shadowed. It reminds us of the Roman god Janus who looks both to the past and the future. But here, the fragmented presentation suggests not just duality, but the instability of memory itself. Consider the symbolic weight of such motifs across time. Think of the skulls in Dutch Golden Age paintings, memento mori, serving as stark reminders of mortality amidst opulence. Coronel seems to weave a similar thread, using commonplace objects to tap into our subconscious awareness of time's relentless passage. This invokes a deep emotional response, compelling us to confront our own fleeting existence. The motif's journey is never linear. It resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings, echoing through the corridors of art history.