Asetelmamaalaus, jossa on ylellisiä ja arvokkaan näköisiä lasiesineitä ja osittain kuorittu sitruuna.
Asetelmamaalauksessa on arkisia vihanneksia, kuten kukkakaali, lehtikaali, makkara ja kala.
Asetelmamaalaus, jossa keskeisenä esineenä on pääkallo. Mukana myös kirjoja, kukkia ja sammunut kynttilä.
Asetelmamaalaus, jossa on ylellisiä ja arvokkaan näköisiä lasiesineitä ja osittain kuorittu sitruuna.
Asetelmamaalauksessa on arkisia vihanneksia, kuten kukkakaali, lehtikaali, makkara ja kala.
Asetelmamaalaus, jossa keskeisenä esineenä on pääkallo. Mukana myös kirjoja, kukkia ja sammunut kynttilä.

The Mysteries of Still Life

31 min

What do the lemons, skulls, and soap bubbles in still life paintings truly tell us? Dive into the world of symbols in 17th-century Holland.

3,90 €
The episode can be watched five times for one payment.
Description

Still life paintings may at first glance appear to be simple arrangements of objects, but for Dutch artists of the 17th century, every detail held symbolic meaning. In this episode, we explore still life paintings as visual riddles: What does a skull reveal about life? Why is a lemon peeled, yet untouched? 

Guided by the narrator, we move beyond the surface into a rich world of symbols and metaphors. Discover how earthly pleasures, spiritual warnings, the passage of time, and the fragility of life emerge through these details. 

Art becomes a mirror, reflecting the values of its time and raising timeless questions about existence and mortality. 

The Mysteries of Still Life offers a captivating journey through art history—inviting us to slow down, look closer, and listen to the quiet stories whispered through colour and form. 

Images:

Maerten Boelema de Stomme: Still Life, 1642. Finnish National Gallery Collection/ Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Paul and Fanny Sinebrychoff Art Collection. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Hannu Aaltonen 

Fanny Churberg: Vegetable and Fish Still Life, 1876. Finnish National Gallery Collection / Ateneum Art Museum. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Hannu Pakarinen 

Master of the Vanitas Texts: Vanitas, 1631–1678. Finnish National Gallery Callection / Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Donation Collection of the Ester and Jalo Sihtola Fine Arts Foundation. Photo: Finnish National Gallery / Hannu Aaltonen 
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