' A Dead Soldier ' - My chosen painting

After researching and considering the paintings I had seen, I chose this painting called 'A Dead Soldier'.  It is believed to be of Italian origin, painted in the 17th century.  Who painted it is unknown and the soldier depicted has no identity.  This painting appealed to me on several levels.  I like the fact that there is very little known about it because I can then focus on the symbolism of the painting and perhaps what the artist was trying to say.  The colouring of the painting in real life is beautiful and extremely striking and I want to build upon that; I have been told I have a good eye for colour and it is important to me that I don't lose this element of the painting in my interpretation, but instead use it to make it beautiful.  The ideas of death and war give me many different ideas to explore; the description on the National Gallery website was really what sold it to me:

"To the left are a skull and bones, symbols of death. The wick of the lamp hanging from the branch has just been extinguished. This work is intended as a 'vanitas', in which the objects serve as a reminder of the brevity of life and the futility of human achievement.

The school and date of the painting are much debated, but it may be a Neapolitan work of the 1630s."

I really want this to be the basis for my interpretation and I hope to explore themes and ideas linked to ‘the brevity of life and the futility of human achievement’ and make it evident in my photo.  I want to give the painting a contemporary look and bring it up to date and maybe base it on a more recent war.  I love the armour the soldier is wearing and I certainly want to maintain an element of the military and armour, but I will have to be creative to achieve this.  I am excited to begin my sketch book and start the creative ball rolling, the painting has really inspired me and I can't wait to see where it takes me.