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oil paint oak wood
Currently on view at Mint Museum--RANDOLPH
Gift of the Martin Cannon Family Foundation, Incorporated in memory of Martin L. Cannon, Jr.
The skull was frequently a reminder of death and a symbol of the transitory nature of human life. Here, the skull is painted in grisaille (shades of gray) to resemble a three-dimensional sculpture. Below the skull, a Latin inscription admonishes the viewer: “Why do you, mortal being, raise your head? You will die, too, and will be as bald as this skull. 1480.” Such paintings are known as vanitas from a verse in the Book of Ecclesiastics in the Bible: “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity.”
Accession Number: 1978.28A-B
Measurements:
Copyright Information:
Public Domain
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