Time is an oil painting by Spanish painter, sculptor, poster designer and illustrator Ulpiano Checa. In this painting death is personified as an age old man riding a horse galloping full speed with a bloody sickle.
“…Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeksWithin his bending sickle’s compass come;– William Shakespeare, Sonnet 116
***A memento mori is a reminder of death. It is a key practice in Stoicism but is not unique to it. It can be a simple visual reminder or quote or a more serious mediation on death. Stoics use it to remind themselves of how short and fragile life is and therefore how much we have to be grateful for, to live virtuous lives, and not to waste our time.
In this series, each Monday, I will post a memento mori from various sources, either from the primary Stoic texts themselves or other sources.