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"Auto-Icon" of Jeremy Bentham

Thomas Southwood Smith British
Jacques Talrich French

1832

Not on view

A secular reliquary and modern mummy, this "auto-icon," as Bentham called it, literally embodies its sitter: the clothed figure contains the skeleton of the pioneering Utilitarian philosopher. Bentham specified in his will that his body be dissected in the service of science, followed by this unusual form of preservation, drolly broadcasting his rejection of the afterlife and allowing him to "attend" meetings of his devoted disciples. After some failed efforts to preserve his head, it was replaced by this wax portrait by the French anatomical modeler Jacques Talrich.

"Auto-Icon" of Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Southwood Smith (British, 1788–1861), Wax, human bones, human hair, wool, cotton and linen textiles, straw hat and wooden walking stick and chair,, English — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: "Auto-Icon" of Jeremy Bentham

Artist: Thomas Southwood Smith (British, 1788–1861)

Artist: Jacques Talrich (French, 1790–1851)

Date: 1832

Culture: English

Medium: Wax, human bones, human hair, wool, cotton and linen textiles, straw hat and wooden walking stick and chair,

Dimensions: 53 15/16 × 24 7/16 × 34 5/8 in., 160 lb. (137 × 62 × 88 cm, 72.6 kg)

Classification: Sculpture

Credit Line: UCL Culture

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Modern and Contemporary Art at The Met

The Met's engagement with art from 1890 to today includes the acquisition and exhibition of works in a range of media, spanning movements in modernism to contemporary practices from across the globe.