Last time I showed you a cute little still life painting that was all "enjoy life to the fullest, live love laugh", and here is an example of a trend that started developing towards the end of the XVIIth century and became more prevalent during the XIXth: "enjoy life... while it lasts. You're gonna die, we're all gonna die, uh a butterfly".
This painting is exposed in a museum in my town and the first time I saw it I was like "duh ok flowers and a squirrel, great". But let's look at it more closely: the flowers are already starting to wither, they're looking down, they're just here to drag your look in and then it's too late. Behind them, are some thistles. You can also notice butterflies everywhere: these used to be the go-to symbol of soul. The painter's intention is to show you how some fleeting pleasures, who are not worth it, can cause quite some pain.
Other elements reinforce this: the bottom part is dark, in the shadows, and it's full of "bad, disgusting" (not my opinion, the commonly admitted one especially at the time): sneks, @happy_frog -sorry, we like you-, and they're in predatory mode. The light in the bottom part comes from a plant that looks like a fire on which the main part is gonna burn. This goes to show that not giving in isn't enough, you must actively avoid sources of "bad pleasure". To make sure you do, a phat squirrel is watching the whole scene, holding a nut. Take your mind out of the gutter, this was a symbol of the bitterness of the crucifixion of Jesus. He's deciding whether or not it's worth sacrificing himself.
Van Schrieck must have been fun at parties, but at least it was a cool way of giving his message.
This gloomy trend will lead to the vanities and memento mories, very goth, and roughly the social equivalent of a doormat saying "why you smiling, the end is near".
This painting is exposed in a museum in my town and the first time I saw it I was like "duh ok flowers and a squirrel, great". But let's look at it more closely: the flowers are already starting to wither, they're looking down, they're just here to drag your look in and then it's too late. Behind them, are some thistles. You can also notice butterflies everywhere: these used to be the go-to symbol of soul. The painter's intention is to show you how some fleeting pleasures, who are not worth it, can cause quite some pain.
Van Schrieck must have been fun at parties, but at least it was a cool way of giving his message.
This gloomy trend will lead to the vanities and memento mories, very goth, and roughly the social equivalent of a doormat saying "why you smiling, the end is near".