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Images of Man and Death
French
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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About the author
Philippe Ariès
80 books119 followersPhilippe Ariès (21 July 1914 – 8 February 1984) was a French medievalist and historian of the family and childhood, in the style of Georges Duby. He wrote many books on the common daily life. His most prominent works regarded the change in the western attitudes towards death.
Ariès regarded himself as an "anarchist of the right". He was initially close to the Action française but later distanced himself from it, as he viewed it as too authoritarian, hence his self-description as an "anarchist". Ariès also contributed to La Nation française, a royalist review. However, he also co-operated with many left-wing French historians, especially with Michel Foucault, who wrote his obituary.
During his life, his work was often better known in the English-speaking world than it was in France itself. He is known above all for his book L’Enfant et la Vie Familiale sous l’Ancien Régime (1960), which was translated into English as Centuries of Childhood (1962). This book is pre-eminent in the history of childhood, as it was essentially the first book on the subject (although some antiquarian texts were earlier). Even today, Ariès remains the standard reference to the topic. Ariès is most famous for his statement that "in medieval society, the idea of childhood did not exist". Its central thesis is that attitudes towards children were progressive and evolved over time with economic change and social advancement, until childhood, as a concept and an accepted part of family life, from the 17th century. It was thought that children were too weak to be counted and that they could disappear at any time. However, children were considered as adults as soon as they could live alone.
The book has had mixed fortunes. His contribution was profoundly significant both in that it recognised childhood as a social construction rather than as a biological given and in that it founded the history of childhood as a serious field of study. At the same time, his account of childhood has by now been widely criticised.
Ariès is likewise remembered for his invention of another field of study: the history of attitudes to death and dying. Ariès saw death, like childhood, as a social construction. His seminal work in this ambit is L'Homme devant la mort (1977), his last major book, published in the same year when his status as a historian was finally recognised by his induction into the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), as a directeur d'études.
Ariès regarded himself as an "anarchist of the right". He was initially close to the Action française but later distanced himself from it, as he viewed it as too authoritarian, hence his self-description as an "anarchist". Ariès also contributed to La Nation française, a royalist review. However, he also co-operated with many left-wing French historians, especially with Michel Foucault, who wrote his obituary.
During his life, his work was often better known in the English-speaking world than it was in France itself. He is known above all for his book L’Enfant et la Vie Familiale sous l’Ancien Régime (1960), which was translated into English as Centuries of Childhood (1962). This book is pre-eminent in the history of childhood, as it was essentially the first book on the subject (although some antiquarian texts were earlier). Even today, Ariès remains the standard reference to the topic. Ariès is most famous for his statement that "in medieval society, the idea of childhood did not exist". Its central thesis is that attitudes towards children were progressive and evolved over time with economic change and social advancement, until childhood, as a concept and an accepted part of family life, from the 17th century. It was thought that children were too weak to be counted and that they could disappear at any time. However, children were considered as adults as soon as they could live alone.
The book has had mixed fortunes. His contribution was profoundly significant both in that it recognised childhood as a social construction rather than as a biological given and in that it founded the history of childhood as a serious field of study. At the same time, his account of childhood has by now been widely criticised.
Ariès is likewise remembered for his invention of another field of study: the history of attitudes to death and dying. Ariès saw death, like childhood, as a social construction. His seminal work in this ambit is L'Homme devant la mort (1977), his last major book, published in the same year when his status as a historian was finally recognised by his induction into the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), as a directeur d'études.
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January 31, 2026
Ariès' Images of Man and Death is a rich, informative, and accessible text exploring the cultural and artistic context and history of Western notions of death, the tomb, and the meaning of life that can be derived from death and dying. I will begin the review briefly touching upon the various topics that this book explores, then finish on thoughts regarding quality, relevancy, and remaining questions.
This book begins with articulating the cultural icon of Death that has been around for centuries of human history, specifically focusing on Western notions on this concept. Ariès begins with the Greco-Roman necropolises outside of cities, followed by the transition of burial places closer to areas of the living in churches, charnel houses, outdoor cemeteries, and more. He then goes on to elucidate the various symbols of death and related topics - the beyond, the nothingness of death, the death of others - and how art and architecture reflect cultural beliefs about these issues. In his conclusion, he touches on the apparent new idea of absolute nothing in death itself, and argues that this notion is erroneous: the icon of death may change, as has been shown, but humans continue to create it and believe in it - all to reflect on death and the meaning derived from it. Thus, Death is never about nothing.
The writing through out is very accessible, with minimal jargon that can be resolved by quickly checking online or a dictionary. Along that same line, it is all written very lucidly and is without unnecessary filler or irrelevant examples. As I do not know any French, I cannot attest to the quality of Janet Lloyd's translation, but I can attest to the quality writing in English itself. The selection of photographs are also wide-ranging, engaging, thought provoking, and relevant to the text all throughout. There is just the right amount of such examples without feeling overwhelming or redundant.
I believe the topics explored in this book, namely how we make sense of Death and dying throughout culture, is as relevant as ever (which Ariès would argue to be the case anyway) and are always worthy of genuine discussion and contemplation. I believe this book has and will retain its relevancy as a text to read on this topic, even some 40 years on. The ending of the book, given its brevity on the issue of the "nothing" of Death, likely warrants exploration of more and more recently published sources on it. This is to, (1) see if Ariès' thesis that this was even happening was/is true and (2) to see if contemporary texts and media believe it to be an issue as well, and (3) if there are concepts that this book missed.
I do think certain concepts relevant to our times have not been explored in this book, due more to the fact that culture has changed much since 1985. I believe the biggest is our current avoidance and even phobia of death and all signs of it: the isolation of the hospital bed (touched lightly by Ariès), the lack of education towards children and adults on death and dying, the general phobia towards death and dying, the phobia towards aging, and the ways in which we engage in ageism, both subtle and blatant. Another topic that this book does not explore is, of course, the experience and meaning of Death and dying in non-Western cultures; such is just a fact of having an effective thesis.
In conclusion, this is a great book exploring the various and dynamic cultural meanings that Death and dying have had in Western thought. I believe it is a wonderful introductory text on these issues and even affords some genuine personal reflection in the reader. After all, memento mori.
This book begins with articulating the cultural icon of Death that has been around for centuries of human history, specifically focusing on Western notions on this concept. Ariès begins with the Greco-Roman necropolises outside of cities, followed by the transition of burial places closer to areas of the living in churches, charnel houses, outdoor cemeteries, and more. He then goes on to elucidate the various symbols of death and related topics - the beyond, the nothingness of death, the death of others - and how art and architecture reflect cultural beliefs about these issues. In his conclusion, he touches on the apparent new idea of absolute nothing in death itself, and argues that this notion is erroneous: the icon of death may change, as has been shown, but humans continue to create it and believe in it - all to reflect on death and the meaning derived from it. Thus, Death is never about nothing.
The writing through out is very accessible, with minimal jargon that can be resolved by quickly checking online or a dictionary. Along that same line, it is all written very lucidly and is without unnecessary filler or irrelevant examples. As I do not know any French, I cannot attest to the quality of Janet Lloyd's translation, but I can attest to the quality writing in English itself. The selection of photographs are also wide-ranging, engaging, thought provoking, and relevant to the text all throughout. There is just the right amount of such examples without feeling overwhelming or redundant.
I believe the topics explored in this book, namely how we make sense of Death and dying throughout culture, is as relevant as ever (which Ariès would argue to be the case anyway) and are always worthy of genuine discussion and contemplation. I believe this book has and will retain its relevancy as a text to read on this topic, even some 40 years on. The ending of the book, given its brevity on the issue of the "nothing" of Death, likely warrants exploration of more and more recently published sources on it. This is to, (1) see if Ariès' thesis that this was even happening was/is true and (2) to see if contemporary texts and media believe it to be an issue as well, and (3) if there are concepts that this book missed.
I do think certain concepts relevant to our times have not been explored in this book, due more to the fact that culture has changed much since 1985. I believe the biggest is our current avoidance and even phobia of death and all signs of it: the isolation of the hospital bed (touched lightly by Ariès), the lack of education towards children and adults on death and dying, the general phobia towards death and dying, the phobia towards aging, and the ways in which we engage in ageism, both subtle and blatant. Another topic that this book does not explore is, of course, the experience and meaning of Death and dying in non-Western cultures; such is just a fact of having an effective thesis.
In conclusion, this is a great book exploring the various and dynamic cultural meanings that Death and dying have had in Western thought. I believe it is a wonderful introductory text on these issues and even affords some genuine personal reflection in the reader. After all, memento mori.
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