Guerino Angeli (xix-xx) - The Philosopher's Vanitas
Oil on canvas. Original canvas. Hand-signed.
This vanity of books confronts us with a paradox as old as writing itself: the accumulation of knowledge as a form of shipwreck. The scattered volumes, the glasses resting on open pages and the lamp casting a dim light on worn spines suggest a feverish effort that nonetheless acknowledges its finitude in the face of the immensity of the cosmos. In a world of exponentially expanding knowledge, philosophy can no longer claim to be the sum of all answers, but must assert itself as the mastery of questioning. Its goal today is no longer to reach the top of a tower of books that will always surpass us in height, but to learn to inhabit uncertainty with dignity.
Image dimensions unframed: 35 x 24 cm / 43 x 32 cm with custom frame.
This vanity of books confronts us with a paradox as old as writing itself: the accumulation of knowledge as a form of shipwreck. The scattered volumes, the glasses resting on open pages and the lamp casting a dim light on worn spines suggest a feverish effort that nonetheless acknowledges its finitude in the face of the immensity of the cosmos. In a world of exponentially expanding knowledge, philosophy can no longer claim to be the sum of all answers, but must assert itself as the mastery of questioning. Its goal today is no longer to reach the top of a tower of books that will always surpass us in height, but to learn to inhabit uncertainty with dignity.
Image dimensions unframed: 35 x 24 cm / 43 x 32 cm with custom frame.
650 €
Period: 19th century
Style: Other Style
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Oil painting
Reference (ID): 1760212
Availability: In stock
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