Art Lovers discussion

Memento Mori Remember that you will die.

"Men living in antiquity all the way up until the beginning of the 20th century, rather than being a downer, death was seen as a motivator to live a good, meaningful, and virtuous life. To help men remember death, artists created paintings, sculptures, and mosaics depicting skulls, skeletons, and other symbols of death. Churches would display memento mori art to compel viewers to meditate on death, reflect on their lives, and re-dedicate themselves to preparing to meet God. Devout Christians would often ask that their tomb or grave marker have some sort of skeleton motif on it to remind their visiting family members to get right with God before they too passed on."

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articl...

To This Favour
William Michael Harnett
1879

Self Portrait
Thomas Smith
1680

Memento mori woodcut
Alexander Mair
1605

In ictu oculi
Juan de Valdés Leal
1672

Saint Jerome
Albrecht Dürer
1521

Morieris
Hans Memling
1483

Memento Mori
Jan Saenredam
late 16th century

Portrait of a Man Holding a Skull
Frans Hals
1615

Dance of Death
Emmanuel Büchel
1773

*shiver*

Carol ꧁꧂ wrote: "*shiver*"

I agree, Carol!
I thought it was interesting the rationale they had behind why they wanted to paint reminders of death into art.

"rather than being a downer,
~death was seen as a motivator to live a good, meaningful, and virtuous life
~Churches would display memento mori art, to compel viewers to meditate on death, reflect on their lives, and re-dedicate themselves to preparing to meet God.
~Devout Christians would often ask that their tomb or grave marker have some sort of skeleton motif on it to remind their visiting family members to get right with God before they too passed on ."