Celebrating Life

^{Floor 2, Gallery 43, Italian Renaissance}

Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto, The Resurrection of Christ, oil on canvas, c.1550-70

Although death itself is familiar, its aftermath is unknowable and the continuation of existence is taken from the deceased and placed into the hands of surviving friends and families. Ideas about the afterlife vary from culture to culture, but many people share a powerful belief in life after death irrespective of religious faith. Many of the objects and images we make, help us to maintain a connection between the deceased and those who wish to remember them. Nonetheless, our evaluation of a person’s life might change over time, as their actions are seen in a different light.

How might a medical professional’s own belief system enable them to empathise with patients and their families facing death?

How should we navigate disagreement about how a deceased person should be remembered?

^{Floor 2, Gallery 43, Italian Renaissance}

Unknown Flemish Painter, The Adoration of the Shepherds, oil on panel, c.1560-70

The potential for involvement in birth as well as death offers the general practitioner, in particular, unique access to some of the most emotionally significant moments in the lives of individuals, families and communities.

How can we balance the celebration of life, with a sensitive and thoughtful approach to death?

Supported by the Ashmolean Museum and Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences