Aspects of death and their effects on the living as illustrated by minor works of art : especially medals, engraved gems, jewels, &c. / by F. Parkes Weber ; with 58 figures in the text.

  • Weber, Frederick Parkes, 1863-1962.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Aspects of death and their effects on the living as illustrated by minor works of art : especially medals, engraved gems, jewels, &c. / by F. Parkes Weber ; with 58 figures in the text. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Evans, President of the Royal Numismatic Society, Lady Evans, Dr. H. E. Storer, Dr. Oliver Codrin'gton, Dr. Ernest Schuster, Mr. Alfred Schuster, Dr. J. P. zum Busch, Dr. G. Dorner, Mr. W. T. Ready, and Mr. L. Forrer; and, needless to say, the authors of the numerous books and papers to which I have referred. The study of human aspects of death derives most of its interest from human aspects of life. The aspects of the one are naturally more or less dependent on and modified by the aspects of the other. Death is as necessary as birth for the continuance and progress of the human race, and life cannot even be imagined without death (except, indeed, in regard to the doctrine of the immortality of germ-plasm). A man's ideas on death depend largely on the particular conditions of his own life and his surroundings, whilst his ideas and ideals of life may be considerably modified by his views and hopes regarding the nature of death and the nature of the human soul. La Rochefoucauld said that man could no more look steadily at death than at the sun. But certainly man may, without harm to himself, see death or ideas on death reflected in works of art. Just so, in the ancient legend, Perseus was able, without being turned into stone, to behold the head of the Gorgon Medusa, reflected in the mirror given to him by Athene; and thus he succeeded in slaying the dreadful monster. At all events, a study of this kind to some extent increases one's knowledge, and brings with it a certain amount of satisfaction, though neither this nor any other study can quite place one in the position described by Virgil:— Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas ; Atque metus omnes, et inexorabile fatum Subjecit pedibus, strepitumque Acherontis avari! F P W November, 1910. x . a-. •