:REMIND_RESEARCH [memento mori]:

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase meaning remember you must die. A memento mori painting or sculpture is one designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the brevity and fragility of human life in the face of God and nature. A basic memento mori painting would be a portrait with a skull but other symbols commonly found are hourglasses or clocks, extinguished or guttering candles, fruit, and flowers. In addition to the symbols of mortality these may include other symbols such as musical instruments, wine and books to remind us explicitly of the vanity (in the sense of worthlessness) of worldly pleasures and goods.

Below are some examples given on www.tate.org.uk of memento mori paintings…


Edward Collier, Still Life with a Volume of Wither's `Emblemes', 1696


Pablo Picasso
Goat's Skull, Bottle and Candle
1952


Sarah Lucas
Self Portrait with Skull
1997

Here are some images taken from www.flickr.com that interpret Memento Mori, most of those I found were pretty gothic and depressing….


© All rights reserved by maccio (www.flickr.com)


© All rights reserved by wakalani ( www.flickr.com)


© All rights reserved by ultra.mega~ok (www.flickr.com)

I liked this idea that a piece of art or something created has the ability to remind an individual or a group of people of something. It would be interesting to create some sort of series of images that conjure a particular memory in myself for instance and then see if they have a similar effect on others.

Some text and image included taken from www.tate.org.uk