"the significance of skulls" Topic

I had to go to Norwich yesterday to run an exam in St Andrews Hall and during the quiet dull bits of prowling up and down the aisles of tables took in the collection of portraits…

they were mainly the mayors of Norwich upto around the 1800's, but what struck me was that every portrait from the 1500's to about 1620 showed the mayor in full gear but resting his hand on a human skull (one chap actually had a skeleton looking over his shoulder which I assumed was a reference to the Black Death)…

can't immediately find any pictures online as an exampkle, but does anyone know the meaning of the skull – seems an odd reference at presumably a religious period.

(and no GW jokes)

(and no GW jokes)

Must of read my mind….

See this wiki link

link

Basically reminders of mortality, indications that despite wealth and power the Grim Reaper awaited them.

Symbol of mortality, and the personification of death

Obvious really

Tempus fugit.

Memento Mori.

Et in Arcadia Ego

Ipso Fatso

Sick Transit. Gloria, Monday

Inter alia

or

Nex specto nos totus.

Some cultures worshipped the head and/or skull as the source or font of knowledge.

There are many other examples (one is my "favourite in Manchester – Aston's wife's death bed scene).

We are (in the west) not as aware of death as our ancestors.

There's an English family portrait from 1645 reproduced in Antonia Fraser's The Weaker Vessel that features a man, a woman and their three small children. In the background is a broken column crowned with three skulls. The skulls represent the couple's three other children who died in infancy.

Still I wonder why the Mayors of Norwich, in particular, should have been associated with skulls. Did they have the power of capital punishment in that era?

"Obvious really"

Obviously not otherwise I wouldn't have had to ask…

To everyone else – thanks, the only thought I had was something alchemical, but that was a stretch for over a hundred years worth of personages…

I have to say, the portraits were some of the most amazing works of art I'd ever seen… the style was strangely flat, but a long row of them, each in the same robes, was really impressive…

if you're in that neck of the woods, the halls are open to the public (assuming that haven't been booked by us or a wedding)

During the time of the portraits you mention, the symbolic meaning of skulls (memento mori, remember death) would have been obvious to their intended audience. Most paintings from the Renaissance and Baroque periods are loaded with symbolic objects that aren't immediately clear to 21st century viewers.

I've found it interesting to see how skulls are emerging more frequently in popular culture. They've been a huge part of the heavy metal music scene for decades, but nowdays I see tons of my female students wearing "cute" skulls all over their shirts, purses, etc. In fact, my wife wore a very feminine, "girly" sweater with a little skull on it on our first date. I wonder if future anthroplogists will interpret 21st century humans as death-obsessed, much as we view the ancient Egyptians. Good stuff!

The Dutch Renaissance (I'm taking liberty with that phrase) has a long history of momento mori symbolism. Some other imagery is the just blown out candle with smoke lifting from the wick, snakes, mirrored balls, bubbles, etc.

there is a heavy Dutch influence in Norwich at around that time I think (mainly because of the draining of the fens I assume) – in fact a Dutch pastor is buried in one of the halls according to the plaque…

A good question and even better answers.

Thanks for the thread.

Tony

Personal logo ataulfo Supporting Member of TMP
04 Nov 2007 10:48 a.m. PST

Tempus fugit.
The Beast Rabban 04 Nov 2007 11:01 a.m. PST

Memento Mori.
Major Blunder Forwards 04 Nov 2007 11:40 a.m. PST

Et in Arcadia Ego
Personal logo Doctor Perverticus Supporting Member of TMP
04 Nov 2007 11:45 a.m. PST

Ipso Fatso
kawasaki 04 Nov 2007 11:54 a.m. PST

Sick Transit. Gloria, Monday
Personal logo whitemanticore Supporting Member of TMP
04 Nov 2007 12:03 p.m. PST

Inter alia
Personal logo whitemanticore Supporting Member of TMP
04 Nov 2007 12:06 p.m. PST

or

Nex specto nos totus.

Where is the button to return to the "English" page?

Cheers,

Pro…

Online translators can be so much fun:

Nex specto nos totus.

"Violent death to look at we whole"

Seriously, what about GW and the skulls?

With GW, it's all about their settings being "dark". Any serious effort to figure it out beyond that needs to start in the skull (ha ha) of John Blanche, the artist who set much of the early look of both WFB and 40k.

>>Seriously, what about GW and the skulls?

GW's key market segment is 13-year old heavy metal fans.