Vanitas Still-life with a Portrait of a Young Painter by David Bailly (1651) (Analysis)

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3 years ago

What I see in the painting of David Baily are stick in his right hand, skull, candle, glass of wine, coins, rose, pearl necklace, books, sculpture, pipe, hourglass and a soap bubble. There is a small portrait of himself in his left hand and behind is a portrait of a young woman. Also, there is a man that look like a saint. In the background of the wall is another portrait of a woman and above his head that hanging in the wall is another painting of a man.

This painting is full of symbolism and based on my observation from what I listed I conclude that the painting is an explicit genre of art which uses different symbolic objects to give us awareness about life and death. The painting has different side of explanation or meaning from the background, angle, color and object or item that was used. The portrait represents the artist himself during his younger aged in early twenties. The stick in his right hand is what painters used to support the hand that holds the brush. In his other hand which is another portrait of himself during the time he was painting this work. The man that is sitting in the left side of the painting and the man in the frame are the same and that reminds us the transience of life.

All the object in painting highlighted the human existence. Our life and our time here on earth is very short just like the candle, the bubble, the wine in the glass and the faded flower. The hourglass and the skull remind us that our life has an ending because there is death. And when we are dead everything we own like the pearls and coins will not have value anymore. Overall, the painting of David Baily is a universal wisdom of his own life existence.

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glass of wine, romantic candle , rose this looks like seducing items of SirPotato, liking it !

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3 years ago

Haha 😂

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3 years ago