memento mori

(noun)

A genre of artworks intended to remind people of their mortality, an artistic theme dating back to antiquity. The name comes from the Latin phrase "memento mori," which literally means "Remember that you will die. "

Related Terms

Examples of memento mori in the following topics:

  • Funerary Art

    • In the late Middle Ages, influenced by the Black Death and devotional writers, explicit memento mori imagery of death in the forms of skulls or skeletons, or even decomposing corpses overrun with worms in the transi tomb, became common in northern Europe.

  • The Grand Tour and Its Portraits

    • Souvenirs and mementos became an important element as they could demonstrate the specifics of which location was visited and what was seen or acquired.

  • Cognitive Apprenticeship

    • The three guests would be sharing their pictures, mementos, and stories as the group would journey back through time together.