What is a Death Mask?
You might not know this, but you have likely kissed the most famous death mask.
What Are Death Masks?
In the 1800s, when photography was rare and forensic science was still in its infancy, death masks were a common way to preserve the likeness of the deceased—especially if their identity was unknown. These masks were made by applying plaster directly to the face shortly after death, creating a lasting mold.
Why Death Masks Were Made
They weren’t just mementos. Death masks played several roles depending on context and culture.
Identification in Morgues
In cities like Paris and Vienna, death masks of unidentified individuals were sometimes displayed on morgue walls in hopes that someone would recognize the face and claim the body.
Art, Science, and Memory
Death masks were also used for:
Artistic study, allowing artists to preserve the features of famous figures like Beethoven, Dante, and Napoleon
Anthropology and criminology, documenting facial structures (often problematically)
Victorian mourning practices, during a period obsessed with memorializing the dead
Resusci Anne Death Mask as CPR Doll
The Most Famous Death Mask You’ve Never Heard Of
The most well-known death mask in the world doesn’t belong to a famous ruler, artist, or general.
It belongs to a woman whose name we’ll never know.
The Woman from the Seine
In the late 1800s, the body of an unidentified young woman was pulled from the River Seine in Paris. A death mask was made in hopes that someone would recognize her.
No one ever did.
But those who worked at the mortuary were struck by something unusual: her face looked calm—almost peaceful, with the faint suggestion of a smile.
Artists became captivated by her expression and began calling her “The Drowned Mona Lisa.”
She became a muse to Surrealists, poets, and painters. Her face quietly endured.
How a Death Mask Became a Life-Saving Tool
In 1960, that same face was chosen for something entirely unexpected: the world’s first CPR training mannequin.
Her name? Resusci Anne. No one warned us we were practicing mouth-to-mouth on a death mask.
“Annie, Are You Okay?”
If you’ve ever taken a CPR class, you’ve heard the phrase:
“Annie, are you okay?”
That line—used to check responsiveness during CPR training—comes directly from Resusci Anne.
And yes, that’s the same phrase Michael Jackson used in Smooth Criminal. He reportedly remembered it from a CPR class and turned it into one of the most recognizable lyrics in pop music history.
A Quiet, Unexpected Legacy
In the end, Anne became famous not for how she lived, but for what came after.
Through her death, her face has helped train millions of people to save lives. There’s something quietly comforting about that — a reminder that meaning, impact, and care can echo forward in ways no one could ever plan.
Even anonymously.