Child With Three Skulls - Barthel Beham, 1529. (Memento Mori Print)
This image looks simple at first, but it has a surprisingly strong message. A child’s body lies in the dark with three skulls in front, all engraved in thin lines on a warm parchment style background. Up close you can see tiny details in the hair, teeth and shadows, which gives the whole piece a quiet, eerie feel. It works well in a reading corner, study or hallway where you want something a bit darker and more thoughtful on the wall.
About this art print
This print is based on Child With Three Skulls, an engraving made in 1529. by German artist Barthel Beham, one of the “Little Masters” known for their very small, detailed copperplate prints. The original image is only about 4 by 6 centimeters, but it is packed with symbolism: a lifeless child, three skulls and an hourglass on a ledge at the right. Together they form a classic memento mori scene, a reminder that life is short and death comes for everyone.
Beham and other printmakers often used skulls, bones and timepieces to send this message in a very direct way. The mix of a soft, sleeping child with hard, bare skulls makes the contrast even stronger. The same theme runs through later “remember you must die” images and full skeleton studies, where the body is shown as fragile and temporary rather than heroic or ideal.
Craft & finish
This memento mori art print is made on hand processed paper, highlighted with subtle gold and sealed with beeswax so it feels close to real parchment when you hold it. The surface catches the light softly, which suits the dark lines of the engraving, but colors can look a little different from screen to screen.
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art Prints collection.
Child With Three Skulls (Barthel Beham, 1529.) - Vintage Art Print
In case your print creases during the travel, as it usually does travel for some time, you can safely warm it up with a hair-dryer, and the wax will melt back right into it. You can also use a lighter, which is a much faster method, but be careful to keep the flame either above the paper or parallel to it (which means holding the paper vertically) so it doesn't smudge or even catch fire. The chance of the print actually creasing is very small, as they are rolled in bubble-wrap and shipped in a cardboard box. Also, be sure to keep the print out of the direct sunlight, as it can melt or fade.
Visit the link below to see more about how our replicas are made, how to display them, and repair the damage:
https://www.artifex-replicas.com/post/about-our-parchment-replicas
