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Take a moment first to look and wonder. Share your thoughts on what’s going on in this picture.

“Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation,” by Hans Memling (circa 1433–1494). This triptych contrasts earthly beauty and luxury with the prospect of death and hell. Public Domain. http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/m/memling/3mature4/index.html

Takeaway

“There are three starkly contrasting images next to each other. This piece makes me think of how we are all complex and have many dimensions within us: innocence, vanity, rage, fear . . ..”-Dr. Jeff Millstein, Penn Medicine

Passion in the Medical Profession | May 27, 2022 | <1 min read

Highlights

The juxtaposition of these disturbing images of tortured experiences after death seem to imply a possible connection between narcissistic self-absorption and dire consequences.

Dr. Susan Lehmann, Johns Hopkins Medicine
This series of paintings presents a moralistic judgement on vanity: beauty is fleeting, death is inevitable, eternal punishment ain't worth it. Of note is the gash in the corpse's abdomen on the left, in the space of a womb.

Dean Chien, Medical Scribe, Maryland
In the middle panel, a woman admires herself in the mirror.

Crystal Favorito, pre-med, Johns Hopkins University
This piece makes me think of how we are all complex and have many dimensions within us: innocence, vanity, rage, fear . . ..

Dr. Jeff Millstein, Penn Medicine
Definitely thought-provoking and morbid. Could this represent life-after-death imagery of a life lived in sin?

Dr. Juliette Perzhinsky

Dr. Susan Lehmann, Johns Hopkins Medicine

This is a troubling image, whose centerpiece is a lovely nude woman (nude except for sandals), in a bucolic and peaceful setting, admiring herself in a mirror, flanked by images of death with suffering on either side of her. The juxtaposition of these disturbing images of tortured experiences after death seem to imply a possible connection between narcissistic self-absorption and dire consequences.

Dean Chien, Medical Scribe, Maryland

This series of paintings presents a moralistic judgement on vanity: beauty is fleeting, death is inevitable, eternal punishment ain’t worth it. Of note is the gash in the corpse’s abdomen on the left, in the space of a womb. I’m curious about is the presentation of the images, as I would typically read a triptych in a left to right direction. If that were the case, wouldn’t the more logical flow be living figure>corpse>afterlife?

What do you think?

Do you want to add to the conversation? Please share!

Crystal Favorito, pre-med, Johns Hopkins University

In the middle panel, a woman admires herself in the mirror. The right hand panel demonstrates the artist’s ideas about the punishment of vanity, but the left hand panel adds another dimension: it’s about the vanity of vanity– the woman’s beauty will not save her from death. She (and her dog and the lush landscape around her) will eventually turn to dust.

Dr. Jeff Millstein, Penn Medicine

There are three starkly contrasting images next to each other. This piece makes me think of how we are all complex and have many dimensions within us: innocence, vanity, rage, fear . . ..

Dr. Juliette Perzhinsky

The skeleton represents death. Perhaps this art piece could signify something fundamental, perhaps karma. Definitely thought-provoking and morbid. Could this represent life-after-death imagery of a life lived in sin?

Art
Conversation

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