[Memento Mori] "Learn from Death to Despise Life" - Late Baroque Momento Mori

A French memento mori painting dating to the late 1700s painted in gouache on parchment, depicting a skull, candlestick and hourglass atop a table. The text has been highlighted with gold leaf and reads: "Pensez y bien Apprenez de la Mort à mépriser la Vie; Comme elle est un faux bien, la mort n'est pas un mal: Vous devez même aimer son affreuse Copie, Puisque vous en ferez un jour l'Original" ("Remember Well: Learn from Death to despise Life; As it is a false good, Death is not evil. You must even love its dreadful Copy, For one day you will make the Original.") Small sections of gold paint chipped away from the page, and mild toning throughout but in otherwise fine condition. 9 x 7.5 inches (23 x 18.5 cm.)