The Vanitas Gallery
The word ‘Vanitas’ relates to a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.
Associated with still life paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries in Flanders and the Netherlands, Vanitas symbols include skulls, which are a reminder of the certainty of death; rotten fruit (decay); bubbles (the brevity of life and suddenness of death); smoke, watches, and hourglasses, (the brevity of life); and musical instruments (brevity and the ephemeral nature of life). Fruit, flowers and butterflies can be interpreted in the same way.
The team behind Vanitas decided to put a positive twist on history, focusing on celebrating and enjoying life. Their new tagline mirrors this perfectly: “Life’s short, so let’s live it!’
