Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts, Vanitas 1664

The Ferens Netherlandish Old Masters include this skilled Flemish still-life of a type known as a Vanitas, a collection of objects assembled to remind the spectator of life’s transience and the folly of worldly pleasures. The hourglass and burnt-out candle symbolise the passing of time; the will and skull signify death and the bubbles, violin bow and wine glass refer to the superficial pleasures of the present.

Cornelius Norbertus Gijsbrechts, Vanitas 1664 can be viewed at Ferens Art Gallery