MEMENTO MORI CRYING ANGEL

Gilded metal sculpture on marble base after Nicolas Blasset (French sculptor 1600 - 1659)

The little cherub seated, left foot forward, leans on a skull, symbol of the inevitability of death and holds an hourglass, evoking the flight of Time. He reminds the faithful of the need to prepare for death by fearing God and respecting his Commandments. Vanity, as an artistic genre, represents the symbol of human impertinence according to the maxim "vanity of vanities, all is vanity" Ecclesiastes (King Solomon) tells us.

Nicolas Blasset, originally from Amiens, came from a line of sculptors, from whom he learned the art of sculpture. Architect and ordinary sculptor to the king, he devoted himself solely to religious art.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSIONS : 11 cm X 12 cm
SIZE : 4.3" X 4.7"

Memento mori , a Latin expression meaning "remember that you will die", are objects or works of art designed to recall the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. Used since ancient times, these symbols were particularly popular in the medieval and baroque periods. They can be found in the form of skulls, hourglasses, burned candles or wilted flowers, emphasizing the transience of time. These representations, often macabre, invited spiritual and moral reflection, encouraging people to live a virtuous life.