Death masks were taken not only of dead royalty and nobility ( Henry VIII , Sforza ) , but also of important peopleâ '' poets , philosophers , and dramaturges , such as Dante , Filippo Brunelleschi , Torquato Tasso , Blaise Pascal and Voltaire . Death masks were taken not only of deceased royalty and nobility ( Henry VIII , Sforza ) , but also of eminent personsâ '' poets , philosophers , and dramaturges , such as Dante , Filippo Brunelleschi , Torquato Tasso , Blaise Pascal and Voltaire .