The Conversion of Galen 1775

Robert Sayer's "The Conversion of Galen" (1775) is a mezzotint depicting the Roman physician Galen contemplating a human skeleton. The scene is set in a rocky landscape, with a stream in the foreground, and a figure in a long robe standing over a skeleton. The artwork is an example of 18th-century printmaking and serves as a memento mori, a reminder of the inevitability of death. The dramatic chiaroscuro effect, typical of the mezzotint technique, enhances the somber and introspective tone of the image. "The Conversion of Galen" offers a glimpse into the Enlightenment period's fascination with the natural world, science, and the human condition.