Art History Terms to Know: Momentum Mori
The art term "Momentum Mori" has been used for many years and is used to describe reminders of death in art.
Saint Jerome Writing by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is a classic example of momentum mori. Directly translating to "remember you will die" or "remember death", momentum mori are reminders of mortality through art. In this work, Caravaggio uses tenebrism (click the word to learn more about this art term) to highlight the skull, his choice of momentum mori, in this work.
The skull is the most popular choice of momentum mori in art, for it is the most obvious.
At first glance, this work seems to be absolutely free of momentum mori. It is light, free, and full of life through the fruit in the still life. As with many works, the longer the eyes linger upon the canvas, the more of an eerie feeling seems to radiate from the painting. In this work, some fruits are thriving, such as the grapes, which are a symbol of Christ, but many others have been badly battered and bruised. The momentum mori in this painting come into play with the harmed fruits, the flies, and the lizards. At the very top of the canvas, the viewer finds flies, and at the bottom lizards, both of which are considered signs of evil. While at first glance this might seem like a normal still life, the momentum mori in this painting are just as strong as that of the above paintings.
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