During the seventeenth century a form of still life called the vanitas developed as a means to impart an allegorical message about the inevitability of death. The subject here refers to Charles I’s troubled life and is a testament to the suddenness of death and the vanity of early power and glory. For example, the bubbles pertain to the brevity of Charles I’s life (he was beheaded at the age of 44), the broken skull conveys the fragility of human beings, and the globe symbolizes the power and possessions that death steals away.
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- Titles Vanitas Still Life (Descriptive)@Allegory of Charles I of England and Henrietta of France in a Vanitas Still Life (Proper)@Allegory of Charles I of England and Henrietta of France in a Vanitas (Alternate)
- Artist Formerly attributed to, Carstian Luyckx (also Christian, Christiaan; and Luycks), Flemish, 17 August 1623 - after 1658@Formerly attributed to, Simon Renard de Saint-André, French, 1613 - 1677
- Medium oil on canvas
- Dimensions 57 1/2 x 47 1/4 in. (146.1 x 120 cm) frame: 77 × 57 3/4 × 6 1/2 in. (195.6 × 146.7 × 16.5 cm)
- Credit Line Museum purchase with funds provided by Martee Woodward Webb; Mr. and Mrs. Edmund England; Dr. and Mrs. Rex Harris; Mrs. William McDonald, Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Stewart M. Dansby; and Ms. Pauline Tutwiler, 1988.28
- Work Type painting
- Classification Paintings
- Provenance Robert Boulin (1920-1979), France [see note 1]; inherited by Boulin family; purchased by dealer Gibert Molle, Gallerie Gibert Molle, Lyon, France [see note 2]; purchased by dealer Patrick Weiller, Paris by 1985 [see note 3]; sold at Sotheby's Monaco, Nov. 29-30, 1986, lot 344 [see note 4]; purchased by Judith Mazor Taubman (Mrs. Alfred Taubman) (b. 1943) [see note 5]; Sotheby's New York, Jan 14, 1988, lot 188 as Renard de St. André; purchased by the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 1988
1. Robert Boulin was the former French Minister of Health, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1979. According to a memo from Douglas Hyland to Leslie dated May 15, 1989: Pierre Rosenberg conveyed that 1988.28 was in the collection of Robert Boulin (1920-1979) and that it may have been sold after his death. Patrick Weiller confirmed this in an email to Virginia Badgett on December 11, 2019 and identified the Lyon dealer from whom he purchased 1988.28. See object file.
2. According to memo from Douglas Hyland dated January 28, 1988. Based on info communicated by Patrick Weiller. This dealer had purchased the painting and cleaned it. See object file.
3. According to a memo from Douglas Hyland dated January 28, 1988 the painting was offered to the museum by Weiller in 1985. See object file.
4. According to memo from Douglas Hyland, January 28, 1988 (sold in Monaco). Sold as by Renard de St. André. See object file.
5. According to memo from Douglas Hyland, dated January 28, 1988, the painting was damaged during shipment to New York City and Mrs. Taubman received compensation, and the painting was turned over to the insurance company, which subsequently put it up for auction. According to the memo, Patrick Weiller stated that the damage to the painting was minor. See object file.
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