Portret van Philipp Konrad Heidegger Possibly 1730 - 1777

David Herrliberger's print portrays Philipp Konrad Heidegger, featuring a skull at the base, a memento mori, reminding us of mortality. This symbol, prevalent since antiquity, resurfaces in various forms across cultures. We see it in Roman epitaphs and medieval art, each time adapted to reflect contemporary views on death. Consider the vanitas paintings of the Dutch Golden Age, laden with skulls, extinguished candles, and decaying fruit—each element a meditation on life's transience, appealing to the viewer's subconscious awareness of their inevitable end. The skull's evolution reflects our shifting attitudes towards death, from fear to acceptance, and even a morbid fascination. Its presence in Herrliberger's work connects us to this long, cyclical history.