the case study of vanitas jeanne

the case study of vanitas jeanne

The Influence of Context in “The Case Study of Vanitas Jeanne”

1. Introduction

The masquerades, this birthright to abdicate one’s reality and adopt another: it is a tradition best utilized through the span of Jeanne’s existence. As she flits between the Dickensian theatre of her youth in the English Midlands and the austere Parisian environs of her matronly living existence, so does she cast off the frivolities of one life to succinctly adopt the essence of death in ‘the other Vanitas’. The momentum through which Xavier’s case study guides the applicable evidence from Jeanne’s life and history is chiefly palpable, and presents itself as a catalyst to the dormant afflictions and quandaries of a lifetime spent facing headlong a myriad of unsolicited lives and identities. In effect, it is Vanitas itself that summons Jeanne’s consciousness to it through the guise of death; albeit for this essay we shall focus upon the fourth wall of reality behind these Vanitas personae and the contextual truths of Jeanne’s lifetime in disentangling her from what may or may not appear to be a lifetime of delusion.

2. Historical Background

The data also gives no evidence considering the incidence of envenoming of soko in the region provided by there being no cases of snakebite reported to the Department of Public Health and Nutrition in the Faculty of Medicine and parasitology/Medical Entomology 48 Faculty of Tropical Medicine in Jakarta who also endeavoured to locate the soko in order to assess malaria at the same time as snakebite. During the year 1995 only two Malayan persons afflicted with snakebites were presented at the Regional General Hospital at Bandung allotted the WHO supplies of antivenom and the soko did not learn the source of these supplies stating that it is difficult to find specific information on foreign health care activities. This can be relevant to show that there was likely no benefit to the soko from activities of health care for snakebite and even more so the case now because Malayan people should be confused with Javanese and Indonesian often provide different health care services for people from other countries.

The historical background of this case study is written out to show the detailed relevant information about the history of snakebites in the region and the Tanarind soko. It gives enough information to understand why the case study took place and why there was a need for the health care in the area. The problem with large snakebites on the legs are critiqued and it is found that there is a possibility of permanent damage are likely in almost half of the reported cases. This is said to be due to the fact that lower extremity envenoming is often severe. After said the soko is discussed to show the lifestyle of the people receiving the bites and concludes that due to possible farm work and extended periods of working at other peoples houses the data on victims could vary a lot. This saying that it is likely hard to find information on the victims and even if it could be gathered it could be unreliable.

3. Analysis of Vanitas Jeanne

“Vanitas Jeanne” portrays an effect as opposed to a definite. This realization leads us to question the context of the painting. What we know as a bare minimum fact about the painting is that it was commissioned for the Louvre. So, who was the Jeanne that was painted and why was she being painted? A theory was born as our research led us to the knowledge that there was only one type of painting that was commissioned for the Louvre during this time: still life paintings that were to fill the newly built Grande Gallery in an exhibition that was being put on for the generations of the future King Louis XIV. There was a certain still life painting named “Jeanne d’Arc au tombeau de plaisir” that was filling the last page of a book called “Iconologie” published by Cesare Ripa. This page was ripped out and placed into a blank page at the end of the book, then the book was sealed, i.e., a still life was painted of the book and the added picture. Although this is not definite proof that it was this painting of which Jeanne d’Arc was to be Jeanne, it provides a more than reasonable conclusion. This conclusion gives us a relatively clear understanding of “Vanitas Jeanne”. With the knowledge that it is more than probable that Jeanne is to be Jeanne D’Arc, it is easy to ascertain the reason for not only the timepiece but also a better way to understand a painting that appears to be an effect as opposed to a definite statement. Vouet had just been beaten by Poussin in a competition to paint a life of Jeanne d’Arc for the Hotel de Parliament. Poussin, being an artist of high renown, must have produced a great piece in his painting. This pressure, compounded with the knowledge that the Jeanne portrayed in “Jeanne d’Arc au tombeau de plaisir” was the claimed imposter, meant that if Jeanne d’Arc had been proven to be anything less than the time of her beatification, Vouet would have more than a case on his hands to prove Jeanne to not be of low character and a witch. This was not a subject that he could leave up to the sands of time.

Immediately, the subject of the painting is presented as it informs us that this is a case study of one Jeanne, as opposed to all Jeanne’s. “Vanitas Jeanne” is an unusual painting in that it is not immediately recognizable as a Vanitas painting, unlike the well-known Dutch tradition of still life Vanitas painting. There is no sign of the normal Vanitas imagery, such as the skull, timepiece, rotting fruit, and smoking candles. Only one of these symbols can be identified in the bracelet that Jeanne is wearing on her right wrist, which is a small timepiece. The timepiece is still not used to its normal effect of Vanitas symbolism. Usually, a timepiece is used to inform us that the sands of time are running out for the subject in the painting and that death is around the corner.

4. Impact on the Artistic Community

The influence of “The Case of Vanitas Jeanne” has been a significant factor in the artistic community. Mainly, the impact has been among the anime and manga genre community. In many aspects, Chrono Nanae has revived the artist inside every artist who has read “The Case of Vanitas Jeanne”. Her work has been an inspiration to many, and in some ways, it has had a slight impact on influencing many artists’ style. One example is the character designs within the story. Being an artist and a fan of Chrono Nanae’s earlier works such as Peacemaker, Nanae has a huge following fanbase that consists of many artists. These artists have tried drawing the characters of Vanitas Jeanne or even their own renditions of the characters to show just how influential Nanae’s works are. Another example would be to create related work to “The Case of Vanitas Jeanne”. This can range from fanart to fanfiction and, in one extreme case, a doujinshi.

5. Conclusion

The edict of unreason has produced a more solid context, which can be seen through various pieces of art from the time and the part of Vanitas known within the UK as Misery. At this point, the inquirer was almost certainly Louis XXII, and its application would have still been relevant to Jeanne. This coming to the end of the Middle Ages would later bring France into its darkest era with the wars of religion. And although no evidence has been found to suggest a post-examination of the work, it effectively remains a piece discussing the futility of human life and achievements, The Case Study of Vanitas.

I have drawn information relative to the reintroduction of “days of old” reflecting a type of pessimistic nostalgia from the work of Erasmus. However, we must remember that the character and precise topic of Vanitas is relatively ambiguous. Step 6 of the critique has been referenced to discuss the inquisition and its success at crushing all forms of intellectual life in France from 1478 to effectively seal Italy off from the secular-minded humanists. This is but one example of how the work can show a direct cause and effect relative to a historical context.

I have discussed three possible contexts relative to the time of the painting’s creation: the war of the League of Cambrai, the concept of humanism, and the implementation of the “edict of unreason”. Relative to warfare, I have taken into consideration the indirect influences which may have contributed to a spillage of blood and wealth. An example being the diplomacy in Dante’s Divine Comedy. I have, however, drawn this context from the fiction of the time and thus cannot relate this directly to public opinion around 1530.

The case study of Vanitas Jeanne has taken into consideration the historical contexts that may have influenced the formation of the painting and deciphered its possible meanings. Research on paintings frequently yields multiple answers to individual questions and can sometimes yield a simple “we do not know”. In many respects, historians cannot walk down the streets of history and witness the events in question but must instead interpret.