Claus de Werve (Netherlandish, 1380-1439)Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy1

Claus de Werve (Netherlandish, 1380-1439)
Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
1404-1410
Alabaster

“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.”

One of three mourners currently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Image and description from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s online collection pages (1,2 (shown here), and 3).