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Memento Mori, "To This Favour" by William Harnett

William Harnett · 1879-01-01

William Harnett's *Memento Mori, "To This Favour"*, painted in 1879 and housed at The Cleveland Museum of Art, is a masterful trompe-l'œil still life that quietly speaks to the human condition. It's a painting that asks us to reflect on life's brevity.

The artist meticulously renders a collection of objects, scholarly books, an hourglass, and a candle holder, but the central focus is a stark human skull. This imagery serves as a traditional "memento mori," a Latin phrase meaning "remember you must die." It's a reminder that all earthly pursuits eventually end.

Yet, a delicate handwritten note tucked into an open book adds a profound layer of human presence. It suggests a personal, fleeting thought, perhaps a final message or an unfinished idea, softening the starkness of the skull. Harnett's incredible realism makes these objects feel tangible, drawing us into a quiet contemplation of time, knowledge, and mortality.

The painting, created at the height of Harnett's career, became a significant example of American realism. What does this arrangement of objects make you think about?

Details

A human skull is placed among scholarly books.
A human skull is placed among scholarly books.
But look closely at the open book's pages.
But look closely at the open book's pages.
Someone left a handwritten note there, like a personal message.
Someone left a handwritten note there, like a personal message.
Its metallic gleam and the implied light source suggest the passage of time and the fleeting nature of illumination.
Its metallic gleam and the implied light source suggest the passage of time and the fleeting nature of illumination.
The title 'CHAMBERS' ENCYCLOPAEDIA' grounds the scene in intellectual pursuit, a common theme in memento mori.
The title 'CHAMBERS' ENCYCLOPAEDIA' grounds the scene in intellectual pursuit, a common theme in memento mori.
Transcript

This painting from 1879 asks us to remember something important. A human skull is placed among scholarly books. This is a memento mori, a reminder of death's inevitability. But look closely at the open book's pages. Someone left a handwritten note there, like a personal message. Even in death, traces of a human life remain.