Vanitas, by van Hemessen (1535, c.)

Title

Description

The image depicts an angel with butterfly wings, dressed in red and holding a mirror where a skull is reflected on. There is ambiguity regarding the gender of the angel. The skull on the other hand is probably feminine since it is reminiscent of the vanitas tradition of a mirror reflection, typically depicting a female character.

Creator

van Hemessen, Jan Sanders (c. 1500-1540)

Source

Lille Palace of Fine Arts, Lille, France
https://pba.lille.fr/en/Collections/Highlights/16th-20th-century-Paintings/Vanity

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210223015607/https://pba.lille.fr/en/Collections/Highlights/16th-20th-century-Paintings/Vanity

Inventory number: P. 2009

Wikimedia Commons:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lille_Hemessen_vanitas.JPG

Archived in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150509213549/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lille_Hemessen_vanitas.JPG

Date

1535, c.

Format

Oil on wood.
Dimensions: 90 × 73 cm