The Spanish had a unique form of vanitas called Desengaños del Mundo (Disenchantments of the World) related to the Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying Well) texts which prepared Christians for Death. The Knight’s Dream by Antonio de Pereda, in which a sleeping man is shown with the luxurious contents of his dream spread out before him, is one of the most celebrated examples of this type. An angel hovering above offers a path to salvation.

From spirit to science



During the 18th Century an increased interest in the natural sciences encouraged some painters to move away from such symbolism in favour of a detailed observation of subject matter. In Spain the most important painter was Meléndez, whose finely observed studies of various foodstuffs can only evoke wonder.

Goya’s astonishing series of food still-lifes from the early 19th Century offers something wholly different. Painted in Madrid during the Napoleonic invasion and at the same time as he was working on The Disasters of War series, they feature birds, animals and fish whose humanised faces painted with agile, forceful brushstrokes cannot help but recall slain soldiers.

Most artists were beginning to abandon such humble motifs, though, in favour of those more suited to the growing ranks of the bourgeoisie who had become their prime patrons. Fantin Latour’s hazily sensual flower paintings became particularly popular.