This artwork is painted by Dutch painter Maria van Oosterwijck in 1668 and is called Vanitas met hemelglobe (Vanitas still life). It expresses one of the attitudes towards death as mentioned by Phillipe Ariès: my death.

Vanitas became very popular genre in the Netherlands during the 16th and 17th century. A vanitas is defined as “a still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures” (Tate, n.d.) This vanitas shows multiple objects with different meanings. The globe refers to the transition to heaven, in which one can earn a place by living a pious and sincere life. A typical symbol in a vanitas is the skull, that reflects the temporality and vanity of the earthly. Moreover, the worn book in front of the globe refers to the balance of life and the butterfly on the book appeals to the fragility and brevity of life (Wikipedia, n.d.) The artwork focuses mainly on the afterlife and the idea of transcendence. The overall meaning of the artwork addresses the fact that life is short and everything one does as a human being is important in order to gain a place in heaven.

In this period (from 1100 and onwards), death was linked to a person’s identity and aimed at one’s own death. There was a personalization in the death mentality around this time; people had to prepare themselves for dying and reflect on their own life. The vanitas and its objects clearly shows this mentality, by reminding the viewer of the fact that one will die and has to think about his/her own life. Ultimately, there will be an individual judgement about one’s life on earth, and this must be taken into account during life. One should find the right balance between good and bad, symbolized by the book in the front.

In conclusion, the death mentality was focused on one’s own death, which is reflected in this painting, by emphasizing mortality and one's life on earth with various meaningful objects.

References:

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Vanitas met hemelglobe.

Tate.org (n.d.). Vanitas – art-term.