Francis Picabia

This was originally a relatively naturalistic portrait of a man pointing to a skull, the traditional reminder of death after it was returned unsold, picabia chose to obliterate the features of the face, tranforming into a void overlaid with strange symbols that may have be derived from the medieval catalan frescos.



Picabia surrounded his figure with sexually suggestive hanging objects based on these symbols, while the horus are a reference to cuckaoldry.



The misleading date "1925" was also painted in later, reflecting picabias subversive sense of humour.

(A shaft of light)
The fall of light has been carefully observed and calculated so that it blances the pile of objects, and highlights the central object of vanita's, the human skull the principle reminder of vanitys.

(Empty shell)
As well as a symbol of wealth, the shell, which is clearly empty is also more direct reminder of human mortality.
To us, such an exotic shell is fasinating curiosity, but we can no more claim perminate possession of it then the lower life form that once inhabited the shell.
"For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts... As the one dieth so dieth the other.

(Japenese sword)
The sword is a symbol of worldly power and indicates that even the might of arms cannot defeat death.
And no matter how mighty a man becomes "He that is higher than the highest regardeth"

(The shawn, an insrument of love)

The musical instruments in the painting directly indicate the Vanity of the pursuit of knowledge of that Art.But musical are also symbols of love.
Music is traditionally part and parcel of courtship and lovemaking this shawn ( a medieval form of oboe) and the other pipes traditionally represent a male form, and the swelling form of the light and other string instruments represents the female body.