It is an artistic genre, a still life ("still life") focused especially on representing the ephemeral and vain of life, usually using images of skulls, butterflies or even fruits that look decomposed, combined with objects of daily use. The name is inspired by a biblical passage in Latin from ecclesiastes ( 1 : 2 ) vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas ( "vanity of vanities, everything is vanity") , always alluding to the little value of material goods in the face of the fragility of life . See carpe diem , memento mori .
