Memento Mori, To This Favour
William Michael Harnett, 1879Fine art reproduction on 200gsm matte paper. A5 to A1, plus 12x16, 18x24 and 24x36 inches.A skull rests on a volume of Shakespeare's tragedies. Hamlet would have understood.
William Michael Harnett painted Memento Mori, To This Favour in 1879. A human skull sits on a worn copy of Shakespeare's tragedies, among old books on a dark table. The title comes from Hamlet's graveyard scene, where Hamlet holds Yorick's skull: 'Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come.'
Harnett was the American master of trompe l'oeil, painting objects so precisely they appear to sit in front of the canvas. The original hangs in the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The look
Bone white, leather browns and deep shadow. Precise, still and quietly unsettling. Vanitas wall art suited to a dark academia study, library or desk wall.
Sizes
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8 x 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 cm | 8.3 x 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 cm | 11.7 x 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 cm | 16.5 x 23.4 in |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 cm | 23.4 x 33.1 in |
| 12 x 16 in | 30.5 x 40.6 cm | 12 x 16 in |
| 18 x 24 in | 45.7 x 61 cm | 18 x 24 in |
| 24 x 36 in | 61 x 91.4 cm | 24 x 36 in |
Custom sizes on request. Inch sizes have a slightly different shape from A sizes, so the edges trim a little. Size guide
Frames and delivery
Choose a black, white or oak frame, or order the print unframed. It is printed locally in the UK, Europe, the US, Canada or Australia, at the location closest to you. Free tracked shipping, no customs fees. Printing and delivery
Gifting
A memorable gift for a new study, a graduation or a birthday. A reminder to make the most of the time.
More like this
More memento mori in our Gothic Memento Mori Art collection: Garden of Death by Hugo Simberg and Allegory of Death by Tomás Mondragón. For more old books, see Still Life with Books by Jan Lievens.
