Cast taken from Sir Isaac Newton’s Death Mask, which was prepared by the sculptor Michael Rysbrack prior to Newton’s burial in Westminster Abbey on the 4th April 1727
A death mask is a wax or plaster cast made of a person's face following death. They might be a mementos of the dead, or used for creation of portraits. They were often used in funeral ceremonies and were then kept in libraries, museums and universities. Death masks were often made of deceased royalty and eminent persons – such as poets, philosophers, and scientists.