Contextual Research
Death in Art
Wikipedia described Memento Mori as an 'artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death' (Wikipedia, 2021). Memento Mori quite literally translates to 'Remember that you will die.' and has been used by artists to portray mortality, fleeting life, and death throughout the centuries. Notably, the Vanitas (Latin for Vanity) paintings in the 17th century were heavily related to the theme of Memento Mori. Artists such as Pieter Claesz, Paul Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Evert (Edward) Collier are among some of the most well-known Vanitas painters dating from the 16th to 19th century. While Vanitas and Memento Mori are separate but related themes, the messages of many of these influential paintings are reminders of mortality, death, and illness.
Left: Van Gogh - Skull of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette
Top right: Evert Collier - Vanitas
Bottom left: Pieter Claesz - Vanitas Still Life
Bottom right - Paul Cezanne - Pyramid of Skulls
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