Allegory of Life, Guido Cagnacci
In mid-career, Cagnacci turned to subjects that allowed him to deploy his talent for female nudes. Here, the woman is surrounded by symbols of the transience of life: the full-blown rose, the hourglass, the skull and the barely-burning candles are found in many vanitas paintings. At the same time she gazes at an ouroboros, the self-devouring snake which is a symbol of eternity and renewal. Though this painting may be an early copy, Cagnacci often made several versions of his own compositions.
