Vanitasstilleven in een nis 1658 - 1677

Wallerant Vaillant created this mezzotint titled 'Vanitasstilleven in een nis' or 'Vanitas Still Life in a Niche', sometime in the 17th century. This image speaks to the 'vanitas' tradition in Northern European art. 'Vanitas' refers to the transience of earthly life and the inevitability of death. We see this anxiety visualized through the symbolic presence of a skull, an extinguished candle, and what looks like a religious text – objects that carry moral, and didactic weight. Vaillant, who spent some time in France, worked during a period of relative peace and prosperity in the Netherlands. The Dutch Republic's Golden Age was built on colonial trade. 'Vanitas' paintings served as moral reminders to a society that was rapidly accumulating wealth. These images reflect the religious, social, and economic values of the time. To better understand this image, we might research the history of the Dutch Republic during the Golden Age, paying close attention to religious movements, social structures, and the art market, as well as the history of the 'vanitas' tradition itself.