October 7, 2026
A rare 19th century painting made of human hair sees the light of day for the first time in Nantes
The Museum of the History of the French city of Nantes has unveiled a rare work of art dating back to the nineteenth century, made entirely of human hair, and is scheduled to be displayed to the public for the first time between October 6 and 31.
According to the “Patrimonia” website, the painting is titled “A Cemetery of Hair,” and it was created by the artist Alexander Millais, who executed it between 1850 and 1870, using strands of human hair to embody a miniature cemetery that includes tombstones and a funeral procession. This piece comes in the context of a common practice during the nineteenth century, which was the use of human hair to make jewelry and paintings with the aim of commemorating the dead.
The restoration work of the painting revealed the presence of an internal mechanical mechanism designed to move the funeral procession, which places this work on the list of rare moving works of art.
The exhibition will feature an illustrative film examining the original movement of the painting, as well as a collection of documents and other artwork created using human hair.
