Levin Rodriquez Vanitas Analysis

Vanitas - About the Art of Painting, Levin Rodriquez, incorporates symbolism to represent the allegoric themes of inevitability of death, the futility of pleasures and transience of life. This photograph appears to be a Vanitas (from the Latin “vanity”). The main symbols that are used in a Vanitas artwork are usually, skulls to represent the inevitability of death; knowing that we cannot run and hide from it, the futility of earthly pleasures; whether using wealth or knowledge or arts to symbolize this theme and the transience of life preferably using clocks; as the human soul can only live for a short amount of time. Rodriguez shows the three main themes by such colours, tones, textures and certainly symbols
Rodriquez decided to captivate the audience by focusing on the futility of …show more content…
We must detached from these futile possessions facing death. Vanitas – About the Art of Painting contains all the features normally associated with the pleasures of the arts, knowledge and splendour. The three dirty paint brushes and a used paint palette are assembled to show a highlight towards this artwork as it displays the point of having likings towards painting and drawing; this relates when France was generally known for their classical art shows in the 17th century. Another element Rodriquez uses to evoke the pleasure of the arts, is a sketch of a naked lady just dangling off the blue table as for example a famous quote is known to most of the audience “draw me like one of your French girls”, was a famous quote in France during this certain time period.
The giant book that is stationed on the bottom of the skull and the rose is a symbolic of human knowledge and its momentary nature. Having such knowledge during the 17th century was uncommon and only the wealthy could experience and the size of this books extends to the audience that this person had such knowledge in them; that others could envy