I would suggest that the chance of a death mask or a life mask ever having been made is almost nil. The market for artifacts has always been lucrative. So much so, that it's actually a wonder that there aren't more alleged masks, bloodied garments, locks of hair, etc. The people who are in such trade (including those who made death and life masks for a living) are in the business of believing that such items exist and passing on that belief to a paying public. Whether they are scam artists, merely duped by others, or a little of both, I don't know. But since the only claims for such things comes from people connected to making money off of them, I can't buy into any of the masks, coats, etc. One more reason: remember how urgent the need to obliterate the Robespierrists was. It would have been serious business to assert that it would be a good idea to make a mask. That would not have amused any of the Thermidoreans. As for a life mask, I can't picture Robespierre undergoing such an indignity without every one of his enemies screaming about it as soon as it was done. Yet only postmortem tales of masks exist. The only reason for believing such tales is resorting to "it's not impossible." That's just not convincig enough for me.
And yet, I've been told at the Carnavalet Museum that the lock of hair has very good evidence supporting its authentcity. I also asked why it was white and was told that it was the powder used to render hair fashionably white. My comment was something to the effect that they must have stuck that powder on with something nasty because it sure looks completely and totally white. I was told that's how it was. My natural inclination is to be very skeptical and I'm still not convinced that that hair is Robespierre's. The Carnavalet did not produce the convincing evidence they have, so I can't judge for myself. I should probably just trust their expertise on it--as I trust their expertise on believing the other artifacts in other places are hooey.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-09-18 04:42 pm (UTC)And yet, I've been told at the Carnavalet Museum that the lock of hair has very good evidence supporting its authentcity. I also asked why it was white and was told that it was the powder used to render hair fashionably white. My comment was something to the effect that they must have stuck that powder on with something nasty because it sure looks completely and totally white. I was told that's how it was. My natural inclination is to be very skeptical and I'm still not convinced that that hair is Robespierre's. The Carnavalet did not produce the convincing evidence they have, so I can't judge for myself. I should probably just trust their expertise on it--as I trust their expertise on believing the other artifacts in other places are hooey.