Breath of Youth
2023
Digital Illustration
This illustration is influenced by Johann Heinrich Cohausen's treatise, Hermippus Redivivus. Cohausen is an 18th-century physician and author. He is known for his medical satires and often mocks the human obsession with retaining a youthful complexion. Hermippus Redivivus depicts the story of L Clodius Hermippus, who lived to 115 years old by inhaling the breath of young women. In this illustration, the girl symbolises the breath of immortality. The grasping hands around the border reflect people's desperation to obtain the elixir of youth. The ornate framing and muted colours are nods to the characteristics of the 18th century.
