this last weekend i met some of my family in Colorado..we were so gathered to say goodbye to my youngest brother Craig who died peacefully, but suddenly , saturday before last …i now joined my mother Maryanna, my sister Patricia, husband Paul, and daughters Sara and Maria, and my brother Gary and his 35yr marriage bride Becky….
from birth, Craig has always drawn our family closer…my mother’s last child, Craig, was born with Down Syndrome..a tradgedy to be sure, but either a family "splitter" or a family "bonder" as the only possible results of coping…we bonded then, as now…catalysts come in many forms…
the mantra for my work has always been, authorship , authorship, and AUTHORSHIP…and in "keying" off of something PERSONAL …surely this was something that came to me instinctively or perhaps i just "had" to photograph in this way because of some childhood experiences etched so deeply in my psyche…who can know??
now i draw a big circle… with "edges" out there so far that there are literally "no limits"…..i am full ON for what feels like one of the most important , or certainly the most personal, "adult" project of my life….
i have no assignments to aid in production….nor have i sought assignments …i feel compelled for many reasons to make this essay totally "clean"..preferring to produce this "on my own", at least in the conceptual stage…….in any case, this work will be "pure", ok almost as pure, as the little album (above) i made for my grandparents at Christmas in 1958 (see Gallery section here off of "home page")…my whole American Family project is now "keyed off of " my original ’58 holiday family gift using 6 or 7 rolls of film to document my family at home….it was photographed in the very year that our special innocent always happy always Craig left our home at age 4..forever a "child"…Peter Pan…innocent..only in the last 6 months was Craig re-united with my family, under the care of my mother and sister…a sweet goodbye to be sure…
for the last several months , i had been planning to cross the U.S.and work on the project so explained below…yes yes a "portrait" of America….sure, done before…..and done very well before…Frank, Kerouac, Thompson, Winogrand, Twain, Steinbeck,Least-Heat-Moon, Pirsig, just for starters…i think about these authors… i light a candle to all those writers whose books i devoured and made me both question and respect, or those photographers whose work has given me a "lust" that has driven me for a long time…
it is with this "lust" (and i cannot think of a synonym right now) that i now will spend the better part of this year and maybe next, photographing my country through its families!…vignettes…portraits…fantasy…reality…..med format film…b&w and color neg…..supplemented maybe by SX-70 or disposable camera snaps…anyway, i am planning the exhibit before the first roll of film has been processed…very big prints, snapshot board, home movies, etc etc…and maybe one hand made album for exhibition purposes only….
so i am off….ROAD TRIP !!! i will look in the rear view mirror of course…but, looking down the road ahead, knowing for sure that the unexpected will happen (guaranteed) , a "treasure" uncovered, is where i want to be..
"road trip" , especially a coast to coast trip, is an American teenager’s fantasy…i guess some "adults" stay stuck on the concept as well..
in any case , here is a letter i wrote about my project to our Magnum staff a few weeks ago:
"My plan is to literally drive zigzag across the country from New York
to California. I will meet, photograph and video tape a conglomerate and representative demographic of the U.S.. For example, I could
photograph a wealthy socialite family in the Hamptons , a New Orleans
gay couple raising a baby, an Iowa farm family who lost a daughter or
son in Iraq, a Native American family at a powwow, an exhiled family
from Tibet, a Mormon wedding , a Bar or Bat Mitzvah family scene , a
Vietnamese fishing family, a Muslim executive with her husband, a
Mexican Quinceanera fiesta , Buddhist monks, a Sufi with three wives,
a West Virginia coal miner and his wife, and a surfer dude with his
tattooed 15yrs. old bride and Frisbee catching Lab retriever.All of the people that make this immigrant country "tick" in
the first place. Anyone will quickly see that my American
Family will be (if it works), in fact, a "stylized portrait" of our simmering international stew….
I think our timing is perfect. The U.S. is re-defining itself in a
way not seen since the 60′s. Personally , I am so so curious to find out "who we are" . Let people speak. There is an obvious natural "flow" for me with this new work. I started at 14 photographing my own family , went on at 21 to live with a black family, publishing a small book (Tell It Like It Is) .. in the years that have followed, i photograph all
over the world on a variety of stories all influenced by those
first two "important" projects in my creative developement. So, this
project is an evolutionary step.
Serendipity will play the largest role in this as
will my online forum which I will use to keep my readers "in the
loop" and also perhaps lean on them a bit to help me find a family or two… I will give back to my "reader/collaborators" as well creating perhaps a "traveling workshop" of sorts.. So, this will be a collaboration with Magnum, my on-line loyal readers and , most importantly, all the families I will meet."
ok, i think you get it..i probably over explained…sorry… but , here is the deal….offer me lunch and i give you a portfolio review!!….travel along with us and fill up my car with gas (getting expensive) and you might just get an almost free workshop, or find a great family for me to photograph and get a signed print (see how entrepreneural i have become???)….seriously, all of your ideas are welcomed..
i have given myself the next 6-8 weeks to get started, see how it feels, even some time to think about maybe backing out….it happens….i would hate to eat all of the above enthusiasm right here in front of everyone, but i would if ,at any point, i could see i was going nowhere…
right this minute, this seems "right" ..poignant…i have freedom, i have no excuses…. i am very much "on the line" with all in my peer group (past and present), and my peer group includes my friends and you…part of my extended family….nothing virtual about it…nothing virtual about the "weight" of this undertaking either…
so, come and join me…when and if appropriate….with this kind of project it probably would be easy at times and fun to have some of you around when i am shooting….so, let’s just see how it goes….i can post from the road and keep you updated etc etc..i can fantasize some amazing "on the road" gatherings…
so come hang out….this will not be a "reality show"…… just reality…
i love you Craig…i move forward in your memory…
David
I’m so sorry to hear about your lost…
and about your new project… your new life… man… what can I say….
I keep fingers cross… this will be big thing!…
peace
CRAIG,
rest in peace…
David.
I’m really horrible with words in these cases…so I’ll keep it short, but sincere. So very sorry. I feel for you and your family.
Much luck on this grand new project. Look forward to running into you along the way.
Peace, love and respect,
Mike
Mr Harvey,
I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s loss; remember that no one who is truly loved is ever really gone; as long as you remember them, they are with you always. As for your project, as you say, you have the time and the freedom to do it, so why not? Go for the gusto!
David, sorry to hear about the loss of your brother, sounds like you have a great family.
Having recently made a similar trip (albeit one of mostly solitude interrupted by visits with friends…) I am envious, excited and anxious to see the work that comes out of your trip, and will hopefully bump into you somewhere along the way.
There is so much going on inside America today that is lost on most people outside the country and most people within the country for that matter. The divisions we are constantly reminded of between red and blue, liberal and conservative, hillary and obama, for this, against that, east coast west coast….sort of dissolve once one travels to those places and sees for oneself what and who is really out there. I guess the same can be said for anywhere, but in some ways it means that much more when it is the place you are from. I’m ready to run out the door, buy a motorcycle and do it again right now….
Can’t wait to see your images and hope to catch up with you in CA or somewhere along the road. Lot’s of recommendations I’ll throw your way as I think of them, like the place in Tennessee I ate a the best and biggest breakfast I’ve ever had for $2.99. Safe travels…
Natan
David, if you walk around here (Brasil), tel me.
Walk with you for free.
David,
Very sorry to hear about your brother.
If you pass through Southwest, VA on your travels lunch will be on me. Hope to catch up with you soon during Look3 in Cville.
Best,
Jared Soares
David,
Please accept my condolences on the loss of your brother.
The project sounds wonderful! Good luck, though… with the serendipity and symbiosis worked out, I think the luck will take care of itself!
I’m so sorry for the loss of your brother. Sometimes words are insufficients.
hi david,
i’m sorry to hear about your loss. my thoughts are with you and your family.
the project sounds truly amazing. i’ve only just read of the plan and already i can’t wait to see the results. who knows perhaps johanna (my girlfriend) and i will make it to the usa to join you for a while.
keep up the enthusiasm david, the who thing sounds great!
take care and writ soonest,
Jason.
David: so sorry for the loss of your brother.
Good luck with your new project. I´love to hear more details about it. I think we will all learn a lot during this project, so thanks again for letting us be part of this new work.
regards
jorge
David,
I have been a reader and a fan of your blog for some time but I regret that my first post is under these circumstances. Please accept my condolences on the loss of your brother.
Your project is very exciting and a passion of mine as well. I and my partner are creators of American Journal Magazine, a hopefully growing online publication (www.american-journal.org). If you have the opportunity please look it over. Yes we are in dire need of an update and we plan to post soon!
If there is anything we can do to help you or any way we can collaborate on something we would be honored. Gas is cheap in comparison the the payoff for such a project.
I am attending your workshop at Look3 in June and I am looking forward to meeting and learning.
I wish you much luck on your project and look forward to seeing the results,
Best Regards
Pete
Sorry to hear about your loss.
On the brighter side that seems like an amazing way and huge inspiration for your new project. It seems like a dream assignment. If you’re passing through philadelphia or hoboken (ya i know its only across the river but still) I’d love to meet up and hang out.
Are you going to keep us updated with photos or is it all going to be a surprise for the exhibition?
David,
The tears in my eyes are more powerful than anything I could post here. Craig must have been a true blessing from above.
Requiescat In Pace.
Best wishes on your new journey as an insider/outsider in your own country.
Peace (Pax)
Jason
Happy travels David,
Feel free to contact me if I can help in and around Central Oregon! As a break, good mtn. biking, coffee and beer! Lots of options for your project.
Cheers,
-Rob Kerr
Condolences to you and your family, David — but what a fine memorial to Craig you are building with the new project. Happy and productive travels! It’s just a bummer you won’t be in NYC.
Dear David,
My thoughts go out to your mother, it is difficult to outlive your child. My condolences to you and your family. I hope Craig can stay in your hearts forever.
In times of grief, beautiful ideas surface. Maybe they are the proof that we are still alive. The passion is there, I can read it so don’t back off. I hope you will find what you hope for between East and West. Have a good road trip and put Craig on your shoulder…
Yours truly, Edward
Older Brother David….
Let me say, above all else, how saddened I am to hear of your brother~s death. I am sending you, more than words, light and love and limbs to you from all three of you to send out and share with your mom and sister and brother. I can only imagine, during this time of grief, the need that each of you has for renewal, for David it is through our loss that we are eventually replenished. There is little that, in the shape of words, i can offer to assuage your sadness, only know this small thing–that those who were alive inside us, were alive beside us, those who fed us and nourished us cannot, not ever, be reft and shorn away. I am certain that each of you are now made even more whole, more light-tossed, more nourished because he is now where he cannot ever be removed, inside you and with each of you, binding each of you to him and with one another.
It is clear you already have a co-pilot on board and he is probably the best and smartest and keenest you will ever need. What is best, remember, cannot shaken or taken away…
All of you filled with the incandescence of his life….
Each of you shall grow renewed, that above all is the gift all those we love and who leave us first…
My arms and words and friendship for you David. Please send along the same to your family…
i leave you with a poem, much more eloquent than I, for each of you…some light and music…
love
bob
——————————————
‘I Think of Those Who Were Truly Great’
Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields,
See how these names are feted in the waving grass
And by the streamers of the white cloud
And whispers of the wind in the listening sky.
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire’s centre.
Born of the sun, they travelled a short while toward the sun
And left the vivid air signed with their honour.
–Stephen Spender
p.s.
the trip…I CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE ESSENTIAL WAY TO CELEBRATE YOUR BROTHER, YOUR PARENTS, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR OWN LIFE THAN TO TAKE ON THIS TRIP….
i~ll write you more later in the week…families…who will lodge you and feed you and all the rest….
hugs
b
Bob
let me say… you should have your own webpage with news site like John have (or me for example). If you will have one I’ll be your loyal reader (and not only I). So… may I ask? for me? please…
peace
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
David,
My condolences to you and your family. i wish you also a good kilometer.
cheers,
nelson
sorry to hear about your loss David.
its painfully hot here in Tucson in the summer, but if your brave enough to enter the furnace of the SW and would like to explore some families on the border, just let me know…I’d be more than happy to show you around Nogales and the Tohono O’odham nation
~ Chris
Oh, David… i’m so sorry for your lost. Instead of words, just send you a warm hug and I hope a fresh east breeze will bring it to you. And with that breeze and a smile, hit the road with your favourite camera bag and feel freedom all over your spirit. This is going to be a big job, a great trip and the best of the experiences! the world is yours! and we want to see it through your eyes!
Love,
Ana
Best of luck Mr. Harvey,
If you find yourself in Eastern Pennsylvania or Connecticut, you are not alone…tank of gas and a cold beer comin right up!
Chris
David & Family-
My deepest sympathies…
sounds like your strength lies, has always lied in the tight bonds of your family… one extra hug, albeit it a virtual one… never hurts though.
David-
I’ve been hinged waiting to see what you’d be up to this year, this new exploration exceeds excitement and expectations! Can’t wait to see it unravel itself.. (unvail, better choice of word?)… anyway how about we tag you with a GPS, your path will look like laced shoes ;-)
As you said to me once in time of simple, excited confusion.. “travel safe.”
best-
David,
a warm ‘abraço’ from portugal. hang in there.
as for the rest, you’ll figure it out as it goes.
David
DAVID,
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother Craig and my deepest thoughts are with you, your mother and your family… I did spend my childhood, raised next to a family who had a daughter with Down Syndrome… It is a tragedy indeed but I have also seen how she was able to bond the family together…These “kids” do certainly look different but they have a capacity for love that is unsurpassed!
Regarding your new expedition, this sounds like a really exciting project David!! As you know, being a “visitor” here in the US, I have myself been thinking of doing a portrait of middle America where I live today….Your project of crossing the US and showing all the facets of this complex country through its families certainly takes it to a completely different and exciting level. And I truly think David that there is no one better placed than you to enter into these “american” families, become a friend for a few days (or a life time) and be able to capture their heart and soul into pictures. So, I really look forward to see what comes out of the work and by all means, I would be delighted to help on the journey anyway that I can. I presume that if you plan to cross the country you will eventually have to cross the mid-West and also show the culture and families from there. I will try to do a bit more thinking in the coming days/weeks to see if there are any families that you would want to come to see in this area…As you know, you are welcomed in my own family anytime although I doubt that few “lost” French in the mid-West would be what you have in mind to photograph. Joking aside, you are very welcomed if you simply need a place to stay in the area…lunch provided for free!!!!!
Hoping to see you very soon!
Eric
David,
I am sorry to hear about your brother Craig – my condolences to you and your family. Good luck to you in your travels and if you find yourself along I-95 in Virginia, you are always welcome here in Fredericksburg. -Mike
David;
I know words never seem enough at such times, but my sincere condolences go out to you and your family for your recent loss.
Take care
David,
Our condolences to you and your family in this difficult time.
We wish you lots of luck in your new project. We’re certain it will be very successful and a very rewarding experience.
best regards from Brazil,
Ig and Louise
David, thank you for sharing dear Craig with us. Now his light & smile & love shines throughout the world warming all who have heard his name and his story. I am holding you, your mother Maryanna, sister Patricia, brother Gary and all the family in my heart as you allow his physical loss to sink in. Yes, we know he lives on in all who loved him, but it’s still hard to say goodbye to his beloved body.
Regarding the news of your journey/project/passion, all I can say is, YIPPEE!!!! This sounds monumental and oh so timely. America has been under a cloud for too long and I hunger for someone–for YOU–to see and show it as it deserves to be seen. Even more than the world needs to see us for who we really are, WE need to see ourselves. That is what you will do. Thank you for this gift.
I would like to invite you to stay here in the Detroit area with my husband Ed and me, and I’ll do my best to connect you up with interesting families to photograph/get to know. One of our suburbs, East Dearborn, is home to the largest concentration of folks from the Middle East–in particular, Lebanon–in all of the US. I have volunteered in the art classes at a K-5 school in that community for 7 years and can surely introduce you to a family who would be happy to be part of your project. And, of course, Detroit itself is one of the largest African-American cities in America. Just let me know when and I’ll set things up.
But before then, I’ll be seeing you at your workshop in Charlottesville. I can’t wait! Safe travels…
Patricia
David, your heart opened up, as always, but today, for all to see and feel, with the reality of your loss.
I had been afraid logging in these last few days, to learn that the emergency had to do with such loss, but was hoping it would not be, of course…
I am joining my condoleances to those of our friends here, with an extra thought for your Mom.
God speed on your american adventure. We will meet…
David, I wish you the best on your upcoming project and I hope it provides answers, questions and insight in your relationship with your brother, family and yourself. I moved down to Central Mexico for four months in 2006 after experiencing some life changes and I remember vividly, riding a bus out of Mexico City, while listening to Paul Simon’s, “America”. Its just as you said, “rear view mirror all bad stuff…looking down the road knowing for sure that the unexpected will happen…guaranteed..!!!”
If you come through Baltimore and need a place to stay or a place to get a drink, let me know. I will give some thought to your story and see what I can think of. Baltimore is an interesting place, lots of history, lots of violence and lots of community.
house of sand and fog, or something like that.
I remeber the picture of the old house shrouded in mist that you snapped, and the post was about decisions, weather to anchor or drift.
I kind of had my suspisions that lowering an anchor was not part of your game plan. I envy you man. you are going to have such a great time!
strange how moments in our life have such great significance.
pages in this story are taking a new turn.
I loved the photo album picture.
hi david,
i send you my condolences… it’s never an easy time when a loved one passes on. but i love how you’ve created such a beautiful gift out your circumstances – it gave me shivers – i can’t wait to see what awesomeness come out of your road trip!
looking forward to seeing you in Charlottesville
hugs&much love
anouk
Dear David-
My condolences to you and your family. You have given so much of yourself on this “forum”. A place for photographers to discuss so much else besides the photograph. This new road trip of yours sounds like a natural progression. Much respect for all of your work. You are welcome if you pass through Portland Oregon. Safe travels…
Dear David, My condolences to you and your loved one, may he rest in peace. Also best wishes on your project, i love the intro in your letter, if i have learnt anything from the time i lived in the states, its that your country is more diverse than anyone can imagine. Can’t wait to see the frames you capture.
Best wishes from Amman, Jordan.
Laith
Dear David,
My deepest sympathies go out to you and your family for the loss of your brother.
I read however with great enthusiasm about your upcoming trip and am genuinely excited for you. I’m sure it will be an enlightening and surprising journey, and I hope the forces of serendipity are in full force for its entirety.
I look forward to catching you in the early stages of your trip in Virginia. The first beer will be on me.
Best,
Sean
david; my heartfelt condolences. i wish there was a way other than in words to express sorrow and more importantly perhaps to share it. but alas i am able to offer nothing more than my thoughts transcribed onto this blog comment. it will not suffice i accept, but i hope that you will receive it as something sent with sincerity and respect. asim
WOW, David,
you’ve just blown me away…
you are one awesome dude.
thanks for sharing so much,
peace, good luck and much respect
Sam
David,
My condolences to you and your family.
Katharina
AND NOW… thinking as an OUTSIDER (death in a dear friend’s family)…
and……………………….as an INSIDER… ( DEAREST FRIEND )….
I want to overcome death… i don’t want to die…
I live in the center of the so called Western Civilization…
so, i thought useful… to go BACK… detach… ask the ANCIENT GREEKS…
… see what they thought ( at some point ) … all that crazy old farts…
“THANATOS = DEATH”… in greek…
enjoy…
Thanatos
This post is about the god of Classical Mythology, Thanatos or Thanatus.
Greek deities
Primordial deities
Titans and Olympians
Aquatic deities
Chthonic deities
Other deities
Muses
Nemesis
Moirae
Cratos
Zelus
Nike
Metis
Charites
Oneiroi
Adrasteia
Horae
Bia
Eros
Apate
Themis
Eris
Thanatos
Hypnos
In Greek mythology, Thanatos (in Ancient Greek, θάνατος – “Death”) was the Daemon personification of Death and Mortality. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person. His name is transliterated in Latin as Thanatus, but his Roman equivalent was Mors or Letus/Letum, and he was sometimes identified (perhaps erroneously) with Orcus.
The Greek poet Hesiod established in his Theogony that Thanatos was a son of Nyx (Night) and Erebos (Darkness) and twin of Hypnos (Sleep).
“And there the children of dark Night have their dwellings, Sleep and Death, awful gods. The glowing Sun never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he goes up into heaven, nor as he comes down from heaven. And the former of them roams peacefully over the earth and the sea’s broad back and is kindly to men; but the other has a heart of iron, and his spirit within him is pitiless as bronze: whomsoever of men he has once seized he holds fast: and he is hateful even to the deathless gods.” (Hesiod, Theogony 758 ff, trans. Evelyn-White, Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.)
Homer also confirmed Hypnos and Thanatos as twin brothers in his epic poem, the Iliad, where they were charged by Zeus via Apollo with the swift delivery of the slain hero Sarpedon to his homeland of Lykia.
“Then [Apollon] gave him [Sarpedon] into the charge of swift messengers to carry him, of Hypnos and Thanatos, who are twin brothers, and these two presently laid him down within the rich countryside of broad Lykia.” (Homer, Iliad 16. 681 ff)
Counted among Thanatos’ siblings were other negative personifications such as Geras (Old Age), Oizys (Suffering), Moros (Doom), Apate (Deception), Momos (Blame), Eris (Strife), Nemesis (Retribution) and even the Stygian Boatman Charon. He was loosely associated with the three Moirai (for Hesiod, also daughters of Night), particularly Atropos, who was a goddess of death in her own right. He is also occasionally specified as being exclusive to peaceful death, while the bloodthirsty Keres embodied violent death. His duties as a Guide of the Dead were sometimes superseded by Hermes Psychopompos. Conversely, Thanatos may have originated as a mere aspect of Hermes before later becoming distinct from him.
Thanatos was thought of as merciless and indiscriminate, hated by – and hateful towards – mortals and the deathless gods. But in myths which feature him, Thanatos could occasionally be outwitted, a feat that the sly King Sisyphus twice accomplished. When it came time for Sisyphus to die, he cheated Death by tricking him into his own shackles, thereby prohibiting the demise of any mortal while Thanatos was so enchained. Eventually Ares, the bloodthirsty god of War, grew frustrated with the battles he incited, since neither side suffered any casualties. He released Thanatos and handed his captor over to the god, though Sisyphus would evade Death a second time by convincing Persephone to allow him to return to his wife.
“King Sisyphos, son of Aiolos, wisest of men, supposed that he was master of Thanatos; but despite his cunning he crossed eddying Akheron twice at at fate’s command.” (Alcaeus, Fragment 38a, trans. Campbell)
Thanatos is usually an inexorable fate for mortals, but he was only once successfully overpowered, by the legendary hero Heracles. Thanatos was consigned to take the soul of Alkestis, who had offered her life in exchange for the continued life of her husband, King Admetos of Pherai. Herakles was an honored guest in the House of Admetos at the time, and he offered to repay the king’s hospitality by contending with Death itself for Alkestis’ life. When Thanatos ascended from Hades to claim Alkestis, Herakles sprung upon the god and overpowered him, winning the right to have Alkestis revived. Thanatos fled, cheated of his quarry.
Thanatos : Much talk. Talking will win you nothing. All the same, the woman goes with me to Hades’ house. I go to take her now, and dedicate her with my sword, for all whose hair is cut in consecration by this blade’s edge are devoted to the gods below. (Euripides, Alcestis 19 ff, trans. Vellacott, Greek tragedy C5th B.C.)
peace…
David,
Wishing you and your family peace. I’m glad your family had the time with Craig at home, and that Craig knew he had all of you.
Tank of gas & lunch waits for you in St. Louis. Your project sounds amazing, your passion for it is palpable.
Joan
oh, i’m sorry , i forgot…!
IN ART, IN ART, IN ART …???
In art…
In the earliest mythological accounts, Thanatos was perceived by poets as a fearsome, sword-wielding spectre, shaggy bearded and fierce of countenance. He was a harbinger of suffering and grief, and his coming was marked by pain. But Greek artists did not often follow this grim conception of Death.
In later eras, as the transition from life to death in Elysium became a more attractive option, Thanatos came to be seen as a beautiful Ephebe. He became more associated with a gentle passing than a with a woeful demise. Many Roman sarcophagi depict him as a winged boy, very much akin to Cupid.
Thanatos has also been portrayed as a slumbering infant in the arms of his mother Nyx, or as a youth carrying a butterfly (the ancient Greek word for butterfly is psyche which in modern Greek means soul) or a wreath of poppies (poppies were associated with Hypnos and Thanatos because of their hypnogogic traits and the eventual death engendered by overexposure to them). He is often shown carrying an inverted torch (holding it upside down in his hands), representing a life extinguished. He is usually described as winged and with a sword sheathed at his belt. Thanatos was rarely portrayed in art without his twin brother Hypnos.
Modern renditions of Thanatos often assume the stereotypical cloaked and skeletal visage of the Grim Reaper
“To Thanatos, Fumigation from Manna. Hear me, O Thanatos, whose empire unconfined extends to mortal tribes of every kind. On thee the portion of our time depends, whose absence lengthens life, whose presence ends. Thy sleep perpetual bursts the vivid bolds by which the soul attracting the body holds : common to all, of every sex and age, for nought escapes thy all-destructive rage. Not youth itself thy clemency can gain, vigorous and strong, by thee untimely slain. In thee the end of nature’s works is known, in thee all judgment is absolved alone. No suppliant arts thy dreadful rage control, no vows revoke the purpose of thy soul. O blessed power, regard my ardent prayer, and human life to age abundant spare.” (Orphic Hymn 87 to Thanatos, trans. Taylor, Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.)