then : now :: still life

I ADORE Flemish still life paintings...what with their gloom and doom macabre themes. Fun art fact to impress your friends: these types of still lifes are called vanitas paintings...they remind us of our imminent death and the fleetingness of life and pleasure. Vanitas literally means 'vanity' in Latin.

But seriously, i do love them. The first painting is by Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). Wiki P. tells me that one of his nicknames was "Velvet." This guy was clearly awesome. For more info on Jan Brueghel the Elder- check out this page.

The modern painting was done by New York artist Bella Foster. Though I am not sure if her intentions were to be dark and moody (as her other paintings don't seem to touch on the whole death theme)...I think this is a lovely modern floral still life and it compliments our buddy Velvet's beautifully.