I just found out, belatedly, that in the late middle ages ‘Cadaver Tombs’ became popular.
Why on earth would we want to see a statute of someone as if they were a decomposing corpse? Can someone explain this to me?
My take is that it was to illustrate the concept of vanitas.
In other words, it was fashionable for a while.
My recollection from medieval history is that the reason it became popular was because of the Black Death in the late 14th century - when a third of the local population drops dead, it tends to focus the mind a bit on mortality.
In English, there’s also
IIRC historian Simon Schama, in his “History of Britain” TV series for the BBC, said it was to do with the mortification of the flesh increasing the holiness rating and bringing one closer to Jebus, plus it reminds the beholder that even the great and good wind up looking pretty fuckawful in the end, so you’d better not stray from the path of righteousness. This sainted soul is just up the road from me in Winchester Cathedral, England. As is the tomb of Jane Austen, which is thankfully more tasteful.
Disclaimer: IR not an 'istorian. Where’s Ms Boods? She knows more about my local history than I do, despite living thousands of miles away.
That’s funny, that’s the cadaver tomb I was thinking of myself from a high school trip to Winchester.