A vanitas photograph or painting is a symbolic form of art which emphasizes the pointlessness of pleasure (such as wealth), the reality of morality and the certainty of death. Typically the subject within the images juxtapose one another, with symbols of wealth and security placed next to subjects representing death, showing the futility of joy due to the fact that it is, in the end, meaningless.

Vanitas artwork and photography makes use of multiple subjects placed next to each other in order to show the contrast between life and death, bringing the 2 polar opposites together in 1 image to emphasise their differences. As some of my work will take inspiration from the process of life and the journey towards death for the subjects of the photographs, I will be taking inspiration from vanities photography in order to use the multiple panels next to each other (triptych) to separate the different subjects, which in turn represent (at the left panel) life, youth and beauty and, (on the right panel) death, deterioration and the end of the journey, and thus my work takes inspiration from vanities artwork.

Vanitas artwork and photography is used by a small number of modern artists, who use it to create images that represent gluttony, and use modern privileges in life (technology, modern food, luxuries) while placing them next to a representation of death in order to convey the futility of all of these luxuries.