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Jan van Kessel I (1626-1679) Vanitas Still Life c 1665, Flemish. Oil on copper. 20.3x15.0 cm. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (http://www.nga.gov); gift of Maida and George Abrams.

In the visual arts, the term vanitas was first used only in the 17th century. It described a type of still-life painting that was intended to remind the viewer of the transience of created objects, of pleasure, even of life itself. As used to describe a literary theme, however, the term is ancient. It is derived from the famous words of Qoheleth that open the Book of Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" Moreover, in its literary usage, vanitas refers not so much to the transience or fragility of life as to the futility of seeking what does not last; it is meant to convey a sense of emptiness more than a . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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