Vanitas Still Life

The transitoriness of earthly things is illustrated with symbolic and literary references. A book lying next to the skull and hourglass is inscribed: “calculation – we live unto death and die unto life”, a reference to human life in the balance in the face of death and hope for eternal life. Next to it is a bottle, which reflects the artist’s entire studio including his self-portrait. Maria van Oosterwijck was a student of J. Davidsz. de Heem and worked for well-known rulers throughout Europe.