Hello bloggers, welcome back to another blog post! In this art lesson we have been learning about Vanitas and Memento Mori art
What is Memento Mori?
It is a Latin phrase translating to “remember you must die”. It is an artistic, philosophical, and spiritual reminder that it is very certain death will happen and the brevity of life. It encourages us to appreciate time, to not waste time, prioritise and focus on what is essential.
What is Vanitas?
Vanitas comes from Latin, meaning “emptiness’. It’s a genre of 17th century Dutch still-life painting. It symbolises how pointless the world is, you live for a short amount of time and the likelihood of death. These paintings often include symbolic objects such as skulls, candles, withering flowers, etc. Vanitas were oil-painted, that took very long to dry.
Finding the negative and positive space in this vanitas Positive and negative space drawing
drawing.