Allegory of Vanity, a vanitas completed by Antonio de Pereda between 1632 and 1636. Works in this category of symbolic art, especially associated with still life paintings of 16th- and 17th-century Flanders and the Netherlands, refer to the traditional Christian view of earthly life and the worthless nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. The Latin noun vanĭtās means "emptiness" and derives its prominence from Ecclesiastes. Common symbols in vanitas include skulls, rotten fruit; bubbles; smoke, watches, hourglasses, and musical instruments.Painting: Antonio de Pereda