Altered art book page 13 continued: Danse Macabre

Vanitas paintings take the form of still lifes, consisting of objects that symbolise death and love of human life and earthly pleasures.  The symbols used are mirrors, skulls, hourglasses, flowers, amongst others.  One of the most famous of the vanitas is Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors’. The skewed skull in the corner provides a