Working a possible tattoo image for my brother, my grandfather’s ex libris.
Ingrid Bergman, Intermezzo, Gregory Ratoff, 1939
The Imperial Crypt
Also known as Capuchins’ Crypt, the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, Austria lies below the Capuchin Church and monastery founded in 1618 and dedicated in 1632. The bodies of 145 Habsburg royalty, plus urns containing the hearts or cremated remains of four others, are deposited here, including 12 emperors and 18 empresses.
The most recent entombment was in 2011. The visible 107 metal sarcophagi and 5 heart urns range in style from puritan plain to exuberant rococo. The Imperial Crypt is one of the top tourist attractions in Vienna. To this day, some of the dozen resident Caphuchin friars continue their customary role as the guardians and caretakers of the crypt along with their other pastoral work in Vienna.
Weep when the reaper comes to snatch your soul
In the Middle Ages, hope mingled with fear concerning death and the afterlife, providing stirring subjects for manuscript illumination. Depictions of souls in paradise, the rewards of the blessed, and God’s mercy reassured Christian audiences, while sometimes horrific illustrations of funerals, demons, and the punishment of the wicked prompted the pious to repent for their sins. At the core of visual devotion stood images of the crucified Christ, promising resurrection and eternal salvation.
In Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death, the young owner of the manuscript is shown kneeling with her prayer book before a terrifying spectacle: the walking corpse of Death and three of his victims. The image likely served to remind the viewer that Death could arrive at any time and that prayer could prepare one’s soul.
Dave Eggers, What Is the What
(via liquidnight)
Sorry, we’re all booked. Sadly, you will have to die some other time.
