'Memento Mori' Quote Poster (Gothic Wall Art)
This quote poster shows the words “Memento mori” at the top in old script, with a kneeling skeleton below, hands raised in prayer. The figure is drawn in fine lines on a warm, crumpled parchment style background with a simple decorative border, so the message feels calm rather than loud or shocking. It works well in a study, reading corner or hallway where you want a piece that feels thoughtful, a little dark, but still quiet enough to live with every day.
About this art print
“Memento mori” is Latin for “remember that you have to die.” It was used for centuries as a short reminder that life is limited and that every person, no matter their status, shares the same ending. Instead of spelling this out in a long text, the print lets the words and the kneeling skeleton carry the meaning together: the bones show the body, the gesture shows prayer, and the phrase ties it to time and memory.
The skeleton image is based on 18th century anatomical work, where artists and doctors tried to show every bone clearly but still gave the figures a kind of personality. Here, the ribs, spine and long bones are all carefully drawn, but the pose feels almost like a small scene from a story. Latin sayings like this often appeared on book pages, title frames and objects as quick moral reminders. Some, such as “In vino veritas” – “in wine there is truth” – talk about how people reveal themselves; “memento mori” points straight to the fact that every life ends and that this is something worth keeping in mind.
Craft & finish
This Memento Mori quote poster is printed 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 on the texture of the paper, but colours can look a little different from screen to screen.
You can find more pieces like this in our Vintage Art Prints collection.
'Memento Mori' Quote Poster - 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
