Tuesday, February 21, 2006

About fragility of life #69

Sebastien Stosskopf painted in Strasbourg around 1640. His works are characteristically filled with empty crystal glasses.



In the painting featured above, the light basket contains those tall glasses, sheer and very present at the same time. The country pie nearbye is plump looking and juicy in contrast with the dry austerity of the glasses.
Stosskopf is showing us an allegory of life which is fragile like the glasses and tasty as the pie. The pleasures of flesh are enjoyable but connected to the ground while the elevation of the mind which links the soul to the gods is depicted clearly by the straight transluscent silhouettes of the glasses in the basket.
This kind of painting is called a
vanity, you realize how true this is when the fragility of life or the truth of death is yelling after you.





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