Pieter Claesz. Soutman - Portrait of a Woman

Pieter Claesz (1597–1660) is famous for his still lifes. Moreover, he is considered one of the founders of the famous Haarlem school of still life. His still lifes are divided into two types: ordinary (breakfasts, banquets, dining tables) and Vanitas. Vanitas is a still life that is half mixed with symbolism and allegory. Associations and philosophical reasoning reign here. On these still lifes, you can see books, candles, skulls, clocks, and other things that indicate to the viewer the vanity and short duration of a person's life. This is almost a biblical and mythological painting. It is designed to make it clear to a person that a lot of things, why he strives every day, are not important at all. It is worth paying attention to other things, such as, for example, addressing what awaits each person after death

Spanish collar, ruff or gorgera first appeared about 1560, and was at first open at the neck. After 1570 it becomes closed. It was gradually increasing in diameter reaching 25-30 cm, and by the 1580s the collar became known as the “millstone” or “cartwheel” which required a supporting frame. The collar was made from layers of plaited linen or lace. The Dutchwoman Dangen van Pless at the court of the English Queen Elizabeth I introduced starch that was initially yellowish, which made the collars creamy. Some tinted them with saffron in a golden hue and dyed them with natural dyes in pink or lilac colors. The rigidity of gorgera forced its owner to keep his posture, and for his impracticality, ruff became a symbol of wealth and status and contributed to the spread of the fork, the use of which made it possible to protect the collar from soiling with food. Gorgers were banned in Spain by King Philip IV. Spain was involved in endless wars against the growing Protestant world and in desperate need for cash. Philip announced an austerity program, condemned extravagance, and introduced the concept of simple, pragmatic living. Forcing people to live pragmatically was fairly difficult. Eventually, the inquisition found a way - it banned the ruffed collars and starch, as a "tool of the devil". Alquacils, inquisition enforcers of justice, were armed with scissors and prowled the streets of Madrid enforcing the ban. Shops were raided and gorgera merchandise burned. By the middle of the 17th century, ruff had decreased in diameter and almost did not use starch. The fashion lingered longer in the Dutch Republic, where ruffs can be seen in portraits well into the seventeenth century. In Germany and Flanders, ruff was worn until the beginning of the 18th century. In the 18th century, it remained for a long time among the Jews as an obligatory part of the costume.

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