The Tomb of Philip the Bold is a

funerary monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

commissioned in 1378 by the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

Philip the Bold Philip II the Bold (; ; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) was Duke of Burgundy and ''jure uxoris'' Count of Flanders, Artois and Burgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. Philip II w ...

(d. 1404) for his burial at the Chartreuse de Champmol, the

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has i ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

he built on the outskirts of

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

, in today's France. It was designed and built by

Jean de Marville Jean de Marville (died July 1389) was a sculptor who worked at the end of the fourteenth century. He is known for his work on the Carthusian monastery of Champmol for Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy at a time when the Burgundy became a major ...

, head of the duke's sculptural studio, who designed and oversaw the building of the charterhouse. Marville began work on the tomb in 1384, but progressed slowly until his death in 1389. That year

Claus Sluter Claus Sluter (1340s in Haarlem – 1405 or 1406 in Dijon) was a Dutch sculptor, living in the Duchy of Burgundy from about 1380. He was the most important northern European sculptor of his age and is considered a pioneer of the "northern reali ...

took over design of Champmol, including the tomb. Philip died in 1402 with his funerary monument still very much incomplete. After Sluter's death c. 1405/06, his nephew

Claus de Werve Claus or Claux de Werve ( 1380–1439) was a sculptor active at the Burgundian court under Philip the Bold between 1395 and 1439. He was probably born in the Dutch city of Haarlem around 1380. In 1396 he became the assistant to his uncle, Cla ...

completed the project in 1410. The duke is shown recumbent on black marble, with his eyes open, his hands clasped, and his helmet held by two angels as a lion rests at his feet.Antoine (2005) p. 223 Below him, positioned in alternating double archways and triangular

niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

pleurants Pleurants or weepers (the English meaning of ''pleurants'') are anonymous sculpted figures representing mourners, used to decorate elaborate tomb monuments, mostly in the late Middle Ages in Western Europe. Typically they are relatively small, ...

(''mourning figures'') walk as if part of a funeral procession. The figures were designed by Sluter and became widely influential in the following decades.Sadler (2005), p. 47 Philip's son,

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...

(d. 1419) commissioned a similar tomb and set of figures for both himself and his wife,

Margaret of Bavaria Margaret of Bavaria (1363 – 23 January 1424, Dijon) was Duchess of Burgundy by marriage to John the Fearless. She was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1404–1419 and the regent in French Burgundy ...

. The monuments were not completed and installed until 1470, however pleurants designed for them surpassed those in Philip's tomb and are arguably better know today. Jean, Duke of Berry (d. 1416) commissioned a similar work for his burial, and later again Sluter's work on Philip's tomb inspired the well known Mourners of Dijon, crafted a generation later. Today both Philip and John's tombs are housed in the

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon is a museum of fine arts opened in 1787 in Dijon, France. It is one of the main and oldest museums of France. It is located in the historic city centre of Dijon and housed in the former ducal palace which was ...

Commission and attribution

Philip acquired the domain of Champmol, on the west outskirts of

, in 1378 to build the

monastery Chartreuse de Champmol as the site of his and his predecessors tombs. Although he held little personal regard for the clergy and was never keen to fund them, by the early 1390s was under significant financial pressure.Antoine (2005), p. 167 In addition, he was fond of ceremony and commissioned the chapterhouse to display his religious devotion and create an appropriately ambitious sanctified place for the resting places of his dynasty. Via Philip's investment, and the quality of successive artists he employed employed for the project, Champmol is today regarded as one of the great artistic achievements of the middle ages.Jugie (2010), p. 17 Although Philip spent much of his time in Paris, Dijon had been home to the

Dukes of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

from the early 11th and late 15th centuries, and he wished Champmol to become its ducal palace. It's cornerstone was laid in 1383, and its foundational charter is dated 1385. Champmol was dedicated to the

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

and the

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

in 1388, and that year the first monks took up residence.Jugie (2010), p. 22 However the charterhouse took in total over 20 years to complete and despite great expense was not finalised until Philip's tomb was installed in 1410.Foss (2008), p. 172Sadler (2005), p. 46 In in 1380, Philip commissioned

to "make an

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...

sepulcher A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...

for him in Dijon",Jugie (2010), p. 38 and in 1386 asked to eventually be buried in the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

. De Marville began to work on the tomb in 1834, employing a number of artisans to cut and shape the alabaster for the arcades. The following year he purchased one large, and several smaller, blocks of black Dinant marble. By 1384 de Marville had a workforce of around 10 craftsmen, all of whom were masters who had progressed beyond apprenticeship.Nash (2008), p. 191 Historical records that by 1386 he had at least thirteen fully qualified craftsmen, including two specialist polishers brought in from Paris.Nash (2008), p. 192 Work proceeded slowly, and by the Duke's death in 1404, only two mourners and the framework were complete. Philip's son

, assumed control of the projectJugie (2010), p. 39 and gave Sluter, who had been Philip's chief sculptor since 1389,Smith (2004), p. 47 four years to finish the tomb, but the artist died within two years. Sluter's nephew and assistant,

took over and finished the sculptures in 1410. By 1837, the arcade around the base was largely complete and assembled.Nash (2019), p. 4 The polychrome effigies were painted by

Jean Malouel Jean Malouel, or Jan Maelwael in his native Dutch, ( 1365 – 1415) was a Dutch artist who was the court painter of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and his successor John the Fearless, working in the International Gothic style. Document ...

.Nash (2019), p. 9 Van Eram's main contribution was in adding to outlines of the capitals above the mourners. Sluter designed the mourners themselves, the cherubs above them, and the detail in the arches of the niches. By then the work seems to have been under Sluter's ownership since 1397, and the preparatory work was brought to

Champmol The Chartreuse de Champmol, formally the ''Chartreuse de la Sainte-Trinité de Champmol'', was a Carthusian monastery on the outskirts of Dijon, which is now in France, but in the 15th century was the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy. The monast ...

, in Paris, where the final masonry work began. Reflecting the fact that the designated area would never have been large to contain the number of tombs that Philip had envisioned, in 1402 the monument had become so large that Sluter was forced to break through the wall around the designated area. Philip's wife

Margaret III, Countess of Flanders Margaret III (13 April 1350 – 16/21 March 1405) was a ruling Countess of Flanders, Countess of Artois, and Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne between 1384 and 1405. She was the last Countess of Flanders of the House of Dampierre. She was al ...

died in 1405, but had stipulated that her remains would be laid with those of her parents in

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

. Philip was buried in a cellar beneath the choir on 16 June 1404 (although his organs were sent to the church of Saint Martin at Halle). In 1792, his body was re-interred at

Dijon Cathedral Dijon Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Saint Benignus of Dijon (french: Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne de Dijon), is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Dijon, Burgundy, France, and dedicated to Saint Benignus of Dijon. The Gothic cathedral ...

. The following year Champmol was destroyed and the tomb damaged by revolutionaries and looters. It was restored in the first half of the 19th century.

Description

Slab and effigy

The monument is formed from

, marble, gilt and paint. The upper reliefs contains Philip's sarcophagus effigy, set against highly polished back Tournai stone,Nash (2008), p. 245 purchased by Sluter in 1391. Philip is shown in repose, with his eyes open and his hands upright and clasped in prayer. An angel with gilded wings holds a cushion, formed from black marble slab, for his head. A lion rests at his feet.Jugie (2010), 121 The silver plate with painted bright red overtones helmet was probably designed by de Werve and finished by Sluter.Jugie (2010), p. 42 The emphasis on the mourning figures indicates that Philip was more concerned with the loss to his reign, rather than his physical and spiritual transience into heavenly realms. His effigy was destroyed by Napoleonic troops in 1793, but recreated in 1825 based on portrait prints. Of the original parts of his effigy, only the hands remain intact. The slab of John the Fearless' and his wife's tomb is also constructed from white and black marble, and is similarly decorated with painted highlights in blue, red and gold.Jugie (2010), p. 44 The extensive inscriptions below the slab record his identity, position, and date of death: "VERY NOBLE AND POWERFUL PRINCE AND FOUNDER OF THIS CHURCH...WHO PASSED AWAY AT HALLE IN BRABANT ON THE XXVIITH DAY OF APRIL, YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND FOUR".Jugie (2010), p. 37

Mourners

The

(or "mourners", the word translates in English to "weepers") are regarded by art historians as by far the most interesting aspect of the tomb, and among

's finest work.Jugie (2010), p. 47 A total of 40 mourners, each measuring between 39 to 42 cm in height stand in pairs in elaborate Gothic niches below the slab, arranged as if in procession. Their presence serves to illustrate the grieving of the living, rather than emphasise Philip's physical transience. When Philip was being returned to Dijon following his death in Brussels, a group of around 100 paupers were paid to dress wear mourning cloaks and greet his body outside the city. The mourners are grouped in a procession of one or two figures, led by a priest and two

choirboy A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble. As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" (also derisively) refers to someone who is considered honora ...

s carrying

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

, an

acolyte An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used f ...

, a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

and bishop, three

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

s and two

monks. Behind these clerics are members of Philip's family and close members of his court. Although each mourner is given an individualised face, none can be considered as portraits of actual courtiers. According to the art historian

Jeffrey Chipps Smith Jeffrey Chipps Smith is an American art historian specialising in the Northern Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture. He has published a number of prize winning books on art history. In 2005 he wrote the introduction for a reprint of Erwin ...

, de Marville and Sluter placed them on an elevated black marble platform so that their mourning features would be more visible.Smith (2004), p. 235 Three pleurants were lost when Champmol was plundered by Napoleonic troops in 1793. The others were returned in the following century from either French state or private collections. Of the three, two (mourners 18 and 35) are long assumed to have been lost, while mourner 17 is thought to have survived in a private collection. In the original arrangement, angles were placed at either side of the arcade.

Condition and influence

The charterhouse at Champmol was sacked and burned during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, when the tomb was dismantled and some of its parts destroyed. Today both Philip and John's tombs are housed in the

. The slabs and effigies are in poor condition, with parts, especially round the feet, now lost. The effigies were reconstructed in 1819, in a project lead by the architect Claude Saint-Pere, having been in the Salle des Gardes, Paris, since 1827. They were further restored in the early 21st century.Jugie (2010), p. 35 The style of a arcade with near life sized pleurants carrying a royal effigy became highly influential amongst contemporary sculptures, and can be seen in the monument for Philip's son John, the tombs of Isabella of Bourbon, Marguerite of Bourbon,

Philippe Pot Philippe Pot (1428–1493) was a Burgundian nobleman, military leader, and diplomat. He was the ''seigneur'' of La Roche and Thorey-sur-Ouche, a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and the Grand Seneschal of Burgundy. Life and career Born in 142 ...

(d. 1493),The mourners in Philippe Pot's tomb are considered especially innovative in that they are shown carrying the body of the fallen regent. See Smith (2004), p. 235 and

John, Duke of Berry John of Berry or John the Magnificent (French: ''Jean de Berry'', ; 30 November 1340 – 15 June 1416) was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was Regent of France during the minority of his nephew 1380-1388 ...

Gallery

File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого)..jpg File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 02.JPG File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 03.jpg File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 04.jpg File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 05.jpg File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 06.JPG File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 07.jpg File:Philip the Bold tomb (Надгробие Филиппа Смелого) 08.JPG

References

Sources

* Antoine, Elisabeth. ''Art from the Court of Burgundy: The Patronage of Philip the Bold and John the Fearless, 1364-1419''. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, 2005. * Jugie, Sophie. ''The Mourners: Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy ''. Paris: First Edition, 2010. * Fossi, Gloria. ''Romanesque & Gothic''. London: Sterling, 2008. * Moffitt, John F. "Sluter's 'Pleurants' and Timanthes' 'Tristitia Velata': Evolution of, and Sources for a Humanist Topos of Mourning". ''Artibus et Historiae'', vol. 26, no. 51, 2005. * Morand, Kathleen. ''Claus Sluter: Artist at the Court of Burgundy''. London: Harvey Miller, 1991. * Morand, Kathleen. "'Les Pleurants dans l'Art du Moyen Age en Europe' at Dijon". ''Burlington Magazine'', volume 113, No. 823, 1971. pp. 620-624. * Nicholas, Napoli. ''The Ethics of Ornament in Early Modern Naples''. New York: Routledge, 2015. * Nash, Susie. "The Two Tombs of Philip the Bold". ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'', vol. LXXXII, 2019 * Nash, Susie. ''Northern Renaissance art''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. * Panofsky, Irvin. ''Tomb Sculpture''. London: Harry Abrams, 1964. * Porras, Stephanie. ''Art of the Northern Renaissance: Courts, Commerce and Devotion''. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2018. * Reeves, Matthew. "A Reconsideration of the Tomb of Jean de Berry for the Sainte-Chapelle at Bourges, its Inception, Revision and Reconstruction". ''Medieval History, Medieval Studies''. * Roberts, Ann. "The Chronology and Political Significance of the Tomb of Mary of Burgundy". ''The Art Bulletin'', volume 71, no. 3, 1989. * Sadler, Donna. ''Stone, Flesh, Spirit: The Entombment of Christ in Late Medieval Burgundy''. Brill, 2015. * Smith, Jeffrey Chipps. ''The Northern Renaissance (Art and Ideas)''. London: Phaidon Press, 2004. * Woods, Kim (ed). ''Making Renaissance Art''. Yale University Press, 2007. {{refend Funerary art Gothic sculptures Tombs in France