a traditional momento mori still life vanitas of flowers butterflies atop a wooden table laid with silk

a traditional momento mori still life vanitas of flowers butterflies atop a wooden table laid with silk

€0,25 EUR
€0,25 EUR
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  • a traditional momento mori still life vanitas of flowers butterflies atop a wooden table laid with silk archive - €0.25 | Shop now & buy direct from the artists studio - Distil Ennui ™ est.1990.
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view the complete ‘Vanitas’ collection here.

Vanitas had its renaissance in the 17th century, when Dutch artists became focused on the theme of mortality using natural specimens such as flowers cut from the root and starting to wither, or pieces of decaying fruit to express a memento mori – a reminder of the inevitability of death in all things living. Moreover, “precious” metals, and objets d’art were used to remind the audience of the meaninglessness of a superficial existence.  

Here the artist further explores these themes through the introduction of water; acting as both nurturer and destroyer, it has the power to cleanse and reinvent, or to drown and disappear. Believing that drawing on water’s transient and destructive nature exposes the fragility of life, and the temporary nature of our existence. Ultimately, by playing upon and transforming the genre’s inherent symbolic themes; here the 'Vanitas' series act as a reflection on life and mortality, questioning it's meaning in a society dominated by materialism.

how Vanitas created the worlds first art collectors. - Studio Journal.

Licensing & Copyright

All rights reserved at all times.

This website is a ‘rights managed’ licensing platform that contains a selection of works from the back catalogue of artist Alexander James Hamilton founder of the Distil Ennui Studio™ established in 1990.

The images, video and 3d stl files you will view here are not available anywhere else, and, are exclusively available for ‘rights managed’ licensing only.  

All image, video and 3d model files are solely offered on an exclusive basis by default, no asset will be re-licensed for a period of 24 months. No similar image or video will be re-licensed to the same industry sector for the same period of 24 months, offering you peace of mind that your campaign will not be diluted by competitors for a full 2 year period.

All images are available exclusively on a ‘rights managed’ basis only, the fee to license or reproduce an image, video or 3d model file is based specifically on how it will be used at all times, and, in all circumstances.

Non-Edition commercial prints are available by special request in sizes up to 12 metres in length, under rights managed terms; under the condition that there is to be no commercial resale of the print(s) at any time. These prints are available to interior designers, property developers and architects for permanent site specific installations.

All still images and videos seen on this website are shot ‘in camera’. The stills are shot on analogue medium and large format cameras using 6x6 cms, 5x4 inch or 10x8 inch transparency film plates with the finest quality film scans all prepared and loaded onto our digital archive for immediate access.  The video files are shot as you see them with no post production, you will be licensing the raw file.

All material on these pages is protected by copyright. No part of this website either text, audio, video or images may be used for any purpose other than personal use, without the explicit authorisation of the Distil Ennui Studio™. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, or otherwise) for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. 

All Material ©  1990 - 2026 Alexander James Hamilton, Distil Ennui Studio™, London.

For all enquiries please contact Info at DistilEnnui dot com

If you do wish to use the material contained in this website in a ‘non-commercial’ way; it is on the strict condition that you always display and enable a hot link to the www.DistilEnnuiStudio.com website with a clear copyright message that reads….

' Copyright Alexander James Hamilton © 1990-2026 Distil Ennui Studio™   www.DistilEnnuiStudio.com ' 

Copyright Enforcement
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