PIETER CLAESZ Many Dutch still-life paintings, such as Vani-
tas Still Life (FIG. 25-21) by Pieter Claesz(1597/98–1660), cele-
brate material possessions, here presented as if strewn across a table-
top or dresser. The ever-present morality and humility central to the
Calvinist faith tempered Dutch pride in worldly goods, however.
Thus, while Claesz fostered the appreciation and enjoyment of the
beauty and value of the objects he depicted, he also reminded the
viewer of life’s transience by incorporating references to death. Paint-
ings with such features are called vanitas(vanity) paintings.Each fea-
ture is referred to as a memento mori(reminder of death). In Vanitas
Still Life,references to mortality include the skull, timepiece, tipped
glass, and cracked walnut. All suggest the passage of time or a pres-
ence that has disappeared. Something or someone was here—and
now is gone. Claesz emphasized this element of time (and demon-
strated his technical virtuosity) by including a self-portrait, reflected
in the glass ball on the left side of the table. He appears to be painting
this still life. But in an apparent challenge to the message of inevitable
mortality that vanitas paintings convey, the portrait serves to immor-
talize the subject—in this case, the artist himself.
WILLEM KALFAs Dutch prosperity increased, precious objects
and luxury items made their way into still-life paintings.Still Life with
a Late Ming Ginger Jar (FIG. 25-22) by Willem Kalf(1619–1693)
reveals both the wealth Dutch citizens had accrued and the painter’s
exquisite skills, both technical and aesthetic. Kalf highlighted the
breadth of Dutch maritime trade through his depiction of the Indian
floral carpet and the Chinese jar used to store ginger (a luxury item).
He delighted in recording the lustrous sheen of fabric and the light
glinting off reflective surfaces. As is evident in this image, Kalf ’s
works present an array of ornamental objects, such as the Venetian
25-22Willem Kalf,Still Life with a Late Ming Ginger Jar,1669.
Oil on canvas, 2 6 2 13 – 4 . Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis
(gift in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Art Association
of Indianapolis, in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon).
The opulent objects, especially the Indian carpet and Chinese jar,
attest to the prosperous Dutch maritime trade. Kalf’s inclusion of a
watch suggests that this painting may also be a vanitas still life.
25-21Pieter Claesz,Vanitas
Still Life,1630s. Oil on panel,
1 2 1 11 –^12 . Germanisches
Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg.
Vanitas still lifes reflect the pride
Dutch citizens had in their material
possessions, but Calvinist morality
and humanity tempered that pride.
The skull and timepiece remind the
viewer of life’s transience.
and Dutch glassware and the silver dish. The inclusion of the watch,
Mediterranean peach, and peeled lemon suggests that this work is
also a vanitas painting.
RACHEL RUYSCH As living objects that soon die, flowers, par-
ticularly cut blossoms, appeared frequently in vanitas paintings. How-
ever, floral painting as a distinct genre also flourished in the Dutch Re-
public. Among the leading practitioners of this art was Rachel
Ruysch(1663–1750). Ruysch’s father was a professor of botany and
anatomy, which may account for her interest in and knowledge of
plants and insects. She acquired an international reputation for lush
paintings such as Flower Still Life (FIG. 25-23). In this image, the lav-690 Chapter 25 NORTHERN EUROPE, 1600 TO 17001 in.1 ft.