Vanitas vanitatum is a musical composition inspired by David Bailly's painting Vanitas stilleven met portret van een jonge schilder, which is currently featured in the exhibition David Bailly - Tijd, Dood en IJdelheid at Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden. The piece explores various elements of the painting through three distinct movements.The first movement, "Lady in grisaille," is a musical representation of the ghostly figure of a woman in the background of the painting. This figure, who remains largely invisible, raises the question of who she is and why she appears so faintly. The music embodies the mystery surrounding her presence.The second movement, "De schilder en zijn zelfportretten" (The Painter and His Self-Portraits), draws inspiration from the depiction of a young painter holding a portrait of the older Bailly. The identity of this young painter remains unknown, but the composition follows the interpretation that it is a younger version of Bailly himself. This playful movement features a pizzicato exchange between violin and viola, symbolizing the duality of self-representation and artistic exploration.The final movement, "Vita brevis," addresses the themes of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. As reflected in the painting, the music shifts abruptly midway, embodying the idea that, since life is short, one should embrace it fully and create beautiful things.This composition and its accompanying audiovisual recording were made possible through the support of Dutch Composers NOW, Buma Cultuur, and the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science.