What were Netherlandish artists exploring through Vanitas paintings?

The Vanitas movement was a response to the questioning of the mortality of man. The paintings often depicted a skull, a reference to the inevitable death of humans and flowers both alive and decaying, which again encapsulate the process of life and death. It plays on the key idea of 'memento mori', a reminder that we don't live forever. The paintings are often full of symbols that you can draw upon, candles are also important because of the reference to extinguishing the flame of life. The 17th century movement was very influential and a lot of the ideas that emerged with it can be applied to modern artwork.