The Mourners Medieval TombMedieval of Burgundy the from Court Sculptures

The exhibition was organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, under the auspices of FRAME (French Regional and American Museum Exchange).

The exhibition is supported by a leadership gift from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Florence Gould Foundation, the Eugene McDermott Foundation, Connie Goodyear Baron, and Boucheron. Major corporate support is provided by Bank of the West–Member BNP Paribas Group.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. John the Fearless and the Dukes of Burgundy

A The Valois dynasty ruled E S London H Haarlem T the duchy of Burgundy for Utrecht

OR N BRABANT more than a century, with Bruges GUELDERS COUNTY OF Ghent R FLANDERS h in Lille Brussels e each successive duke COUNTY OF Tournai ARTOIS Cologne Cambrai adding territory to its LUXEMBOURG domain. Burgundy

Paris Metz emerged as one of the most

Nancy Seine creative artistic and FRANC E

Loir e cultural centers of the late

COUNTY OF BURGUNDY COUNTY Dijon OF Middle Ages. The dukes NEVERS DUCHY OF BURGUNDY

Poligny built dazzling residences and religious foundations that advertised their status and established their standing among the most powerful princes in the Western world.

Four dukes reigned in succession: Philip the Bold (r. 1363–1404), John the Fearless (r. 1404–19), Philip the Good (r. 1419–67), and Charles the Bold, also known as Charles the Rash (r. 1467–77). Philip the Bold was the youngest son of John the Good, the king of France, who bestowed the duchy on Philip in 1363. (Philip was also the brother of Jean de France, duc de Berry, whose magnificent illuminated book of hours, known as the Belles Heures, is currently on view in the Robert Lehman Wing.) Philip’s marriage to Marguerite of Flanders in 1369 extended the Burgundian state into modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands.

Philip’s son, John the Fearless, inherited a position of enormous influence from his father, and during his reign, John added small blocks of territory in the north and west. He clashed, however, with his cousin Louis d’Orleans, brother of King Charles VI of France. The rivalry between the two powerful princes dragged Burgundy into a civil war, and John the Fearless had Louis d’Orleans assassinated in 1407. In turn, the heir to the throne, the future Charles VII, had John assassinated in 1419. John’s tomb was completed decades after his death under the supervision of his son, Philip the Good.

Above: Shaded areas represent the possessions of Duke Philip the Bold after 1396 The Tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon

The elaborate tombs of the first Valois dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Bold and his son, John the Fearless, are among the masterpieces of late medieval sculpture in Europe. These monuments feature carved effigies of the deceased rulers lying atop black marble slabs. Below, a procession of grieving figures appears to move somberly beneath the arcades of an elaborate Gothic cloister. The mourners are intended to evoke the dukes’ funerary processions, events that brought together all classes of Burgundian society from the nobility and clergy to the laity.

The mourning figures surround the tomb, praying and weeping for all eternity; according to Church doctrine, this helped ensure the salvation of the deceased. They convey powerful emotion as they follow Jean de la Huerta, Antoine le Moiturier, and studio. Tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria, 1443–70. Polychromed and the processional route, gilded alabaster (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon) some lost in thought or expressing their grief, others consoling their neighbors. Mourning is thus rendered a collective experience, common to all people at all moments in history.

The tombs were originally installed at Champmol, a monastic complex outside of Dijon, in the early fifteenth century. Since the early nineteenth century, they have been on display in the former ducal palace (now home to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon) in what was once the main banquet hall. The renovation of the Musée des Beaux-Arts provides the occasion for American audiences to discover these celebrated sculptures. This exhibition features forty mourners from the tomb of John the Fearless, second duke of Burgundy. The sculptures are displayed independently of their architectural framework, offering a rare opportunity to see them in the round and to appreciate fully their precise naturalism and profoundly moving character.

The exhibition is supplemented with loans of sculptures from the tomb of Duke Philip the Bold and with other works from the Metropolitan Museum’s collection that reflect the patronage of the dukes of Burgundy and the decoration of royal tombs in France. The Dukes of Burgundy and Sculpture

Like any great ruler, Philip the Bold, the first Valois duke of Burgundy, was expected to display his religious devotion publicly and to make arrangements for his final resting place. The establishment of a religious foundation in Dijon helped fulfill both objectives and proclaimed Dijon the capital of a new dynasty. Philip chose to patronize the Carthusian order, which at the time enjoyed the favor of many among the rich and powerful elite. It was believed that the austerity of the Carthusian monks’ reclusive lifestyle and their devotion to silence, contemplation, and penitence guaranteed their prayers’ effectiveness on behalf of the duke, his family, and his duchy.

In 1378 Philip the Bold acquired the domain of Champmol to the west of Dijon and made plans for the construction of a chartreuse, or charterhouse, for the Carthusian monks. Architects, sculptors, painters, and master artisans from throughout western Europe participated in the building and decoration of the charterhouse, and a number of leading artists directed the sculpture workshop. The decoration of Philip’s tomb began under Jean de Marville, but it was his successor, the famous Claus Sluter, who was likely responsible for its innovative naturalism and technical virtuosity. The influence of Sluter’s vision is apparent in the emotive elegance of the sculptures, three of which are exhibited nearby along with one of the tomb’s arcades.

Philip’s tomb was completed by Sluter’s nephew Claus de Werve, who was also commissioned to create a comparable tomb for John the Fearless. However, Claus de Werve died in 1439 having barely begun work on John’s tomb. It was completed over thirty years later, in 1470, by Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier, the two subsequent masters of the workshop, who faithfully followed the model established by their predecessors. Royal Funerals in the Late Middle Ages

At the end of the Middle Ages, the ceremonies surrounding the funerals of kings and princes expanded considerably. The event could last for months, particularly if the body had to be transported back to its place of burial, as was the case for John the Fearless, who died far from Dijon. The services included both funerary processions and liturgical celebrations in which even the humblest inhabitants of Dijon played a role.

The funerals of the dukes of Burgundy were lavish events: a golden drapery was laid over the coffin, and symbols of the deceased duke’s authority (including heraldic banners, weapons, and horses) were prominently displayed, accompanied by abundant candles and music. Hooded black cloaks were distributed to all participating laypersons, from members of the duke’s family to pages and grooms, while members of the secular and regular clergy wore the garments of their station. Even the horses and carriages were draped in solemn black. Class distinctions, normally expressed through dress, were temporarily suspended, the black of mourning reminding all present that death was a universal experience. This sculpted representation of the procession faithfully reflects the drama of the dukes’ funeral services.

Coats of arms of Duke John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria