Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364-1404), result 1 of 1

Netherlands, active Dijon, 15th century

Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364-1404)

Sculpture

1404-1410

vizille alabaster

Overall: 41.7 x 16.6 x 11.7 cm (16 7/16 x 6 9/16 x 4 5/8 in.)

Throughout most of their history these alabaster mourners have evoked a sense of awe and mystery as well as curiosity and admiration. They were originally arranged in processional order around the sides of the ducal tomb within a marble arcade in the Chartreuse de Champmol. The realistically carved mourners remain the most famous elements from Philip the Bold’s tomb. Carved by Claus de Werve, no two are alike. They retain minute details of costume and features, and the faces of some are nearly portrait-like in their depiction of facial creases and expression, suggesting actual individuals, while the faces of others are partly obscured by their cowls.

During his life, Duke Philip founded the monastery of Chartreuse de Champmol to serve as a final resting place for himself and his family.

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Collection: MED - Gothic

Department: Medieval Art

Gallery: 109 Gothic Painting and Sculpture

Provenance: M. M. Hocquart, Dijon; Vicomte Edouard de Broissia & son, Georges, Dijon, 1825; (M. Legay, Nancy, 1876); (Charles Stein, Paris); Baron Arthur de Schickler, Paris; Count de Pourtales, Paris; (Duveen Bros., Paris, 1919); Clarence Mackay, New York, by 1922); (Jacques Seligmann, New York).

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Image and original data from The Cleveland Museum of Art