This painting is full of faces. Appearing at the left is the painter himself, David Bailly, shown in his prime. In his right hand he’s holding a mahlstick, a wooden stick that’s used to support the hand when painting particularly fine details. Next to him on the wall, a still-unused palette hangs from a nail, signalling that this young painter’s career still lies ahead of him. In his left hand he holds a small, oval painting. This is another self-portrait, this time dating from 1651, the year David Bailly painted this work. By this time, the artist had reached a mature age. The self-portrait forms a pendant, or pair, with the oval portrait of the attractive, young woman next to it, Bailly’s deceased wife. The artist has included her likeness once again in this painting. If you look closely, behind the tall glass, you can see her face emerging from the darkness like a shadow. It has also been suggested that this ghostly presence represents the muse of painting.
The table on which the tall glass rests is strewn with all manner of objects. The letter in the bottom right-hand corner that hangs over the table edge leaves us in no doubt as to the subject of this painting. The maxim ‘Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas’ comes from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes and translates as: vanity of vanities; all is vanity. The objects in this painting all point to the finiteness of human existence. Life on earth is as brief and transitory as an extinguished candle, a fragile bubble, a toppled glass or a faded flower. The hourglass and skull are reminders of death, which is always close by. And once you’re dead, any riches are insignificant, regardless of how many strings of pearls or gold coins you may own. In this painting, Bailly is linking this universal wisdom to the finiteness of his own existence.
