Pieter Claesz - Still life with ham, lemon, a roll, a glass of wine, and others on a table 2009 NYR 02237 0042 000

Pieter Claesz (1597–1660) is famous for his still lifes. Moreover, he is considered one of the founders of the famous Haarlem school of still life. His still lifes are divided into two types: ordinary (breakfasts, banquets, dining tables) and Vanitas. Vanitas is a still life that is half mixed with symbolism and allegory. Associations and philosophical reasoning reign here. On these still lifes, you can see books, candles, skulls, clocks, and other things that indicate to the viewer the vanity and short duration of a person's life. This is almost a biblical and mythological painting. It is designed to make it clear to a person that a lot of things, why he strives every day, are not important at all. It is worth paying attention to other things, such as, for example, addressing what awaits each person after death