Small oil painting on wood, still life with copper hourglass, feather and beetle

Small oil painting on wood, still life with copper hourglass, feather and beetle :

The beetle placed on the top of the hourglass is a Cetonia aurata (called the rose chafer or the green rose chafer). These two elements are matched by their golden reflections.
The feather and the small blue note might refer to the work of a scientist, a naturalist for example whose job is to classify living beings. It could also refer to the work of a painter who studies nature. The hourglass would then be the symbol of the limited time we have to perfect our knowledge of the world.

This interpretation is only a proposal, because the symbols found in this small still life are relatively universal (in the Western culture).
You are free to make the story of this little painting your own and give it a unique meaning that only belongs to you!

• Technique: gesso coated wood board, monochrome egg tempera underpaintings and multiple layers of thin colored oil glazings ( flemish technique ). The sides are gilded with copper leaf ( patinated aspect ).

• Dimensions : 3.54 x 2.16 x 0.31 in. / 9 x 5.5 x 0.8 cm
• The painting is supplied with a small brass clip on the back so that it can be hung on the wall or any other vertical surface.

• Shipping and delivery : registered parcel with signature on delivery. Robust packaging: your painting is wrapped in silk paper, bubble wrap and a stiff cardboard sleeve.

This original small format oil painting is an unique artwork, hand painted and signed.