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Biographical/Historical Information

Death masks are casts taken of a person's face following their death. Casts were often made from wax, clay, or plaster and were primarily used to remember the dead. The process has roots in Egyptian mummification and Mycenean Greek traditions. After the middle ages, death masks were made of prominent figures to be saved for display. Later, casts were taken of unknown corpses for future identification. Death masks were eventually replaced by photography.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German writer, scientist, statesman, theatre director, critic, and amateur artist. He is considered one of the greatest German literary figures.

Related Works in the LBI Catalog

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Citation

Unknown Artist: Death Mask of Johann W. Goethe, Leo Baeck Institute, 77.241.