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Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)
Death mask  1745
Courtesy of The Board of Trinity College Dublin

 

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Trinity College Library Dublin, Ireland

Death mask of Jonathan Swift
1745

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) was born in Dublin and lived there for most of his life. His most famous work is the novel Gulliver's Travels (a first edition is on display in the exhibition). Swift was a clergyman, but his satirical writing against religious corruption prevented his promotion to the highest ranks of the Church. He did not restrict his satire to religion, however, but used it to write powerfully against society's wrongs.

The practice of making death masks is thought to date back to the fifteenth century and seems to have served two main purposes. The first of these was the provision of a face for the life-sized wooden effigy of the deceased, which was clothed and carried on the coffin in Royal and State funeral processions.

The second purpose was to record the features of the deceased in order to assist a sculptor in making a portrait bust or statue. It was presumably for this purpose that death masks of Jonathan Swift were taken. It is generally considered best for the mask to be taken as soon after death occurs as possible. The hair of the eyebrows and lashes is protected with a layer of oil or a thin solution of modelling clay, and then the face is covered with a thin layer of plaster of Paris, followed by a thicker layer when the plaster has begun to set. When the outer layer has set firm, the mould is removed from the face and forms the matrix from which the death mask is then cast. The matrix is filled with plaster of Paris. When this has set, the mould is broken open to reveal the mask.

This mask's darkened appearance is the result of an earlier attempt to make it more lifelike through the application of balsam of copaiba. This would initially have been flesh-coloured, but has now discoloured to a dark brown.