A Philosopher contemplating Mortality
attributed to Hendrick Bloemaert (Utrecht c.1601 - Utrecht 1672)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1650 - 1672
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
880 x 860 mm
Order this imageCollection
Benthall Hall, Shropshire
NT 509829
Caption
This image of an old man sitting at a table contemplating a skull and with books and an hour glass nearby is associated with representations of the Alchemist. The practise of alchemy and its pursuit of the so-called philosophers' stone, a substance said to hold the key to eternal life, was discredited by the 17th century. In this picture, the skull and hourglass allude to the passing of time and the inevitablility of death.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, A Philosopher contemplating Mortality, attributed to Hendrik Bloemart (c.1601-1672), mid-17th century. A three-quarter length of an elderly man seated in profile to the left, wearing grey robes and cap with brown cloak draped over his chair. His left hand resting on a skull on a pile of books beside an hour glass.
Provenance
Painted circa 1650 - 1672. Bequeathed to the National Trust in the will of Miss Phoebe Waterfield. Accepted for ownership by The National Trust in 1976 following the death of Miss Phoebe Waterfield in April 1976
Makers and roles
attributed to Hendrick Bloemaert (Utrecht c.1601 - Utrecht 1672), artist