Hi this is Art 101, I’m Professor Lise. I have 17 PhDs, 3 masters and 27 BAs. I’ll be bringing you stories of art that explains the boring parts, the controversial parts and just the parts you don’t understand.

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Ever feel like you’re immortal, with the strength of a thousand suns — eternal and invincible? Yeah, me too. But guess what? There’s a form of art that was intended to remind you constantly of your unavoidable, inevitable, permanent death. It’s a memento mori! Which, in Latin, means “remember death” Or, if you want to take it more personally: “remember that you must die.”

If you look at European memento mori paintings from medieval times until the 19th century, you might notice things like:

- Skulls
- Rotting fruit and flowers
- The Grim Reaper
- A deck of cards
- Hourglasses
- More rotting fruit and flowers

These were elements that painters would include in a still life, a portrait or a biblical scene to make sure you could not escape the fact that you are temporary — that one day, your hourglass will run out of sand and you, too, will rot and become a skeleton.

Sweet, right?

Thanks for joining me on this morbid edition of Art 101. I’ll be back soon with way less death.

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About: Welcome to CBC Arts, your home for the most surprising, relevant and provocative stories featuring artists from diverse communities across Canada. Our job is to fill your feed with the disruptors and innovators changing how we see the country through movement, images and sound — and to inspire you to join in too.

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