Vanitas Still Life
A document with the Dutch lion featuring prominently in the attached seal, a songbook, a flute, dice, a globe, an oil lamp, bubbles, and a skull: much in this still life reminds us of the frailty and transience of life. With the inclusion of the red seal, moreover, this painting seems to be a warning to treat the Republic’s existence with care: after all, nothing is certain!
Pieter Symonsz. Potter