Ask Katy Hessel: Maria van Oosterwijck

Which object in this painting are you drawn to the most? 🌻 We asked art historian Katy Hessel to answer your questions about Maria van Oosterwijck. You asked: What did this painting, Vanitas Still Life, mean to Maria van Oosterwijck, personally? You could almost read this painting as a self-portrait. Look closely and you'll notice a folded letter at the centre of the composition, written in her own hand. Line by line, it lists the objects we see - the skull, the sunflower, the book - and pairs each one with a Bible verse. A guide for us: the viewers. A key to every symbol's meaning. The skull reminds us of our mortality. The gold chest and jewels warn against vanity. The sunflower turns toward the light, symbolising God. The open book of the Ten Commandments grounds it all in devotion. For van Oosterwijck, each object, each word on that letter, is a meditation on life, death and faith. 🖼️ Maria van Oosterwijck, Vanitas Still Life, c. 1675, supported by the VriendenLoterij and the Women of the Rijksmuseum Fund