A death mask, as the name suggests, is a wax or plaster cast made of a person’s face following death. While the Ancient Egyptians used them as part of the mummification process, Westerners adopted the tradition as a way to document what a person looked like, before photography became more popular. Life Magazine just posted a slideshow of 12 rather famous ones, and we’ve picked five of our favorites for you to ID after the jump. But don’t get cocky. Thanks to slight distortions caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the mold, subjects can sometimes be hard to recognize. So we’ll give you a few hints. There are two famous poets (one Italian, one English), one American president, an Austrian painter, and one playwright who you probably read in high school more than once. Good luck!
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Whether you’re a die-hard romantic, a lit-nerd, or a fan of astute screenplays, we have a feeling you’ll love Bright Star, the new biopic from writer/director Jane Campion (The Piano), which follows the tragic love affair of John Keats and Fanny Brawne.
To celebrate the film’s release, we’re sending one lucky reader and a guest across the pond to explore the poet’s past and legacy at teh newly reopened and refurbished Keats House in London. We’ve got your airfare, three nights hotel accommodation, and your Keats House passes covered — so prepare yourself for a whirlwind romance with London.
Enter to win a trip to London
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As if last week’s Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters wasn’t enough, this morning the internet brings us the trailer for Bright Star, the period drama about the life, love, and lyrics of poet John Keats. (The title comes from one of his sonnets.) Though he only lived to 25, that was plenty of time for Keats to write scads of poetry and engage in a doomed love affair with girl next door Fanny Brawne (played by Abbie Cornish, whose turn in Elizabeth: The Golden Age must have given her a yen for period drama). Read More »
