An allegory of the transience of human existence and the vanity of ambition, art and worldly knowledge, this painting combines a variety of symbolic motifs alluding to the inexorable passage of time - skulls and bones, an hourglass, books and precious objects. As moral and religious metaphors, the objects exhort the viewer to moderation in the enjoyment of earthly possessions and pleasures. The artist’s virtuoso depiction of inanimate objects, using chiaroscuro effects to underscore their plastic qualities, allowed him to flaunt his skill at optically reproducing reality.