Art Analysis: Infinite Vanitas By Kevin Best

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Kevin Best’s oil on wood painting entitled Infinite Vanitas (2011) is a composition which illustrates the Vanitas genre of painting, demonstrating the allegorical message of the impermanence of time, the frailty of human life, and the futility of earthly pleasures and achievements. In this painting, many symbols that are typical of the vanitas genre have been used. The artwork has been painted in a realistic style, with textures which are representative of dramatic, dark shadows, realistic surfaces, highlights and a subdued colour palette.
In Infinite Vanitas, Best has placed a number of meaningful symbols in his still life composition on a stone slab table top. On the left side of the table, Best has arranged an elaborate wooden container …show more content…

The focus of the artwork is recognizably the human skull and the blue ribbon which have been emphasized due to their accentuated colours and central placement. Moreover, the ribbon has been painted in a vibrant, arresting blue which contrasts with the subdued grey and brown shades, and the skull has been highlighted in a light tone which contrasts with the objects surrounding it, making both objects complementary to the painting. The vibrant blue colour of the ribbon is significant, as it suggests that it is a symbol of living that will all eventually wither and die. The other objects in the composition are inanimate and are reminders of the passing of time and eventually death; the skull is a relic of a life that has ended, while the hourglass demonstrates the transience of time. Consequently, the symbols and objects in the artwork clearly highlight the fact that time is passing, and that death is …show more content…

The skull is the first thing that the viewer is drawn to, due to its central position and bright tone. It is easily distinguishable as human, reminding the viewer of their brief time as a transitory being. This message is further reiterated by the hand watch, candle and the hour glass, as they all indicate the fleeting nature of life and human mortality. The bubbles link to this also, as they represent the brevity of life and suddenness of death (Vanitas still life symbolism, 2018). The playing cards and dice represent transitory moments of pleasure, reminding the viewer that all people will die regardless of their accomplishments or experiences of pleasure. The mirror is a symbol of vanity and beauty which are both things that cannot last forever. The mirrors also reflect the symbolic still life perpetually to stand for truth or vanity, giving significant meaning to the title, Infinite Vanitas; Infinite because of the still life continually being repeated in the mirror. “By showing an image of a subject that reflect what others see, this self-awareness allows fruitful introspection and the viewers attempt to find the truth or lead to simple vanity.” (Elliott 2017) The alcohol bottle is shown to be signifying the futility of earthly pleasures, and the palette and brush references riches and wealth, as in Netherlands in the early 17th century

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