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Eternally Sleeping November 16, 2007

Posted by jewaira in Death.
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This is an interesting gravestone sculpture

(More details here )

Death continues to fascinate us.

A light, but thought-provoking post.

Comments»

1. Fons Moonen - November 16, 2007

A heart of stone.

2. PseudoRandom - November 16, 2007

Death

3. jewaira - November 16, 2007

Omnia, the photographer says in her comment:

it is a really different headstone

the story told to me is that this guy had a mistress and died overseas in her country – there was a dispute over claiming the body between the wife and the mistress, and the wife finally buried him here

she commissioned an italian artist to sculpt a life size naked woman on top of his grave for some reason known to her

there is other bits to the story but I don’t know what is true

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ahdf4tpgjkth_384c6cmz7

4. Katie - November 16, 2007

Why fight over the body of a dead cheating man?

The sculpture is beautiful, but not appropriate as a tombstone.

Have a nice weekend sweetie!

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Have a good one too Katie :)

Who knows what the true story is…and you’re right who wants to fight over a dead man lol..

One Digg commentator wrote something different:

That marks the grave of Laurie (Laurence) Matheson, who also happened to be a customer of Peter Schipperheyn back in 1981/82. At that time, Laurence commissioned the S.. HE work (http://www.users.bigpond.com/SCHIP/she.htm) from Peter (see http://www.users.bigpond.com/SCHIP/Biograph.htm). When Laurie died in 1987, his wife Christina Matheson commissioned this gravestone from Peter and it was originally called “La donna dormentata”. Laurie was 57 years old.

Many comments find it moving; but I tend to think like you that it is inappropriate as a gravestone.

There is another kind of male gravestone here that is amusing as well:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petroleumjelliffe/1288991/

Comment from LoLoRoy :
This one I know, It’s in Paris “Père Lachaise” cemetery!
The story tells that Victor Noir was a scandalist journalist but also a Don Juan. So the statue shows how a “big” lover he was!
After that the legend appears, pretending that woman, in order to get pregnant, should go to the cemetery and touch his… well… the statue is always shining on this part of his body!
(-;
Lolo

Jewaira

5. Fons Moonen - November 16, 2007

eternally alive :The Three Graces.
by Antonio Canova.

Love the way you constantly enrich the Boudoir dear Fons :)
J

6. Katie - November 16, 2007

I’ve heard about the male gravestone and that his “thing” is shining :o )

It’s a park next to where I live, Vigelandsparken. All the statues are naked..

7. Katie - November 16, 2007

I have a park (Frognerparken/Vigelandsparken) next to where I live, all the statues are naken..

http://images.google.com/images?q=vigelandsparken

It’s 121 naked people on this statue “monolitten” :
http://www.fpvenner.no/billedgalleri/image/severdigheter/010401_monolitten.jpg

8. Phantom Man - November 16, 2007

Jewaira, I find it very moving that a woman would love a man so much that she would put that incredibly beautiful sculpture on his grave, loving him for all eternity. I am reminded of your previous post, “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Perhaps I am just too romantic, but it is the most loving and most moving thing I have seen in a long time.

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Not too romantic PhantomMan :)
But it seems to me a bit of a possessive pose!

I wouldn’t mind having the sculpture in my garden though ;)
Jewaira

9. Fons Moonen - November 17, 2007

It is a privilege to be your guest Madam.

Fons Moonen - March 2, 2009

For a number of reasons I stay and lived in an igloo the last years. Hell/Heaven it start to melt.
So peaceful your lovely warmth.

jewaira - March 2, 2009

Hmmmm

Well, realistically speaking, I would like to try living in an igloo for a while…a real one :)

Fons Moonen - March 2, 2009

How about this isn’t it Romantic ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anlpZDjQiM4
Here comes the Sun let’s freeze.
:)

jewaira - March 3, 2009

I love that!

I wish I could have gone to that hotel in Sweden.

10. Marzouq - November 17, 2007

That is strange.. but intriguing .. there is something I like about it but it feels wrong that I like it! loooool!

11. Stewie - November 18, 2007

I agree with Katie .. It is soo beautiful & skillfully designed!, but it is absolutely NOT appropriate to be tombstone! .. good post although its shwaya ;p

12. christinaohio - November 18, 2007

You find a lot of art in cemeteries, Angels seem to be the favorite theme around here. That is really beautiful though don’t think I’d put anything like that on someone’s grave.

13. Smthng2Do - November 18, 2007

I beg to differ with the thought of inappropriate, besides I don’t think that Mr. Mathesons neighbors are complaining. To me, it is a beautiful piece of art, and it screams out everlasting love. Never alone; always with me even in death. Who’s to say what is appropriate for anything anyway? Whatever happened to Democracy? Problem with the world today is that too many people try to make decisions for others as to what is appropriate behaviour & what isn’t…

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Smthng2do

Thank you for your comment.

:) Perhaps we are just jealous because we can’t even have proper tombstones on our graves. I’m sure many of us would love to have beautiful sculptures draped over our graves.

As for me personally, the sculpture, although beautiful, came across as possessive.

And we all see things through our own experiences.

J

14. Smthng2Do - November 24, 2007

J :D

To each their own….that’s what makes death as beautiful as life.

15. PseudoRandom - November 24, 2007

How is this post thought-provoking?

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Would I do the same?
Would I like the same to be done for me?
Why is such a sculpture regarded by some as a symbol of love?
What message is being conveyed to the outside world?
And last but not least, it forces me to compare the decrepit state of our main graveyard in Sulaibikhaat in Kuwait to the manicured care I see in Christian cemeteries.

It makes me remember my first ever visit to the graveyard in Kuwait during cold, overcast Eid morning. As a first visit it was a humbling experience and I was quite disturbed to see an older grave had caved in under the rain and there was a huge gap into the grave.

That’s why for me it is a though provoking post.

J

16. PseudoRandom - November 25, 2007

Calm down dear. Simplicity in death as in life is the way to go.

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Am as calm and serene as a sugar plum, PseudoRandom ;-)
J