University of Amsterdam
Graduate school of Humanities – Faculty of Humanities Arts and Culture – Dutch Art (Masters)
Author: Rukshana Edwards Supervisor: Dr. E.E. P. Kolfin Second reader: Dr. A.A. Witte Language: English
Date: December 1, 2015
Title:
Portraits as Objects within Seventeenth-Century Dutch Vanitas Still Life
Abstract
This paper is mainly concerned with the seventeenth-century Dutch vanitas still life with special attention given to its later years in 1650 – 1700. In the early period there was significant
innovation: It shaped the characteristic Dutch art of the Golden Age. The research focuses on the sub-genre of the vanitas still life, particularly the type which includes as part of its
composition a human face, a physiognomic likeness by way of a print, painted portrait, painted tronie, or a sculpture. This thesis attempts to utilize this artistic tradition as a vehicle to delve into the aspects of realism and iconography in Dutch seventeenth-century art. To provide context the introduction deals with the Dutch Republic and the conditions that made this art feasible. A brief historiography of still life and vanitas still life follows. The research then delves into the still life paintings with a portrait, print or sculpture, with examples from twelve artists, and attempts to understand the relationships that exist between the objects rendered. The trends within this subject matter revolve around a master artist, other times around a city such as Haarlem, Leiden or country, England. The research looks closely at specific paintings of
different artists, with a thematic focus of artist portraits, historical figures, painted tronies, and sculpture within the vanitas still life sub-genre.
Key words: Seventeenth-century, Dutch art, Still Life, genre art, Vanitas, vanitas with portraits, vanitas with sculpture, vanitas with tronies, vanitas with prints, print portraits, genre art,
iconography, visual analysis, Dutch realism, veiled meaning, artist portraits, prints of historical figures, historical context, social context
