The symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death is called...

Vanitas means "futility" or "worthlessness", the traditional Christian view being that earthly goods and pursuits are transient and worthless. Vanitas themes were common in medieval funerary art, with most surviving examples in sculpture. Common symbols include skulls, rotten fruit, bubbles, smoke, watches, and hourglasses.