Tomb of Philip the Bold

The tomb of Philip the Bold, a significant work of early Netherlandish sculpture, was primarily created by Claus Sluter and initially planned by Jean de Marville. Sluter, known for his monumental and naturalistic style, took over as chief sculptor for Duke Philip II the Bold in 1389. While Marville was responsible for the tomb's lower arcade, Sluter designed and executed the mourning figures, known as pleurants, that surround the sepulchral slab. These figures, about 16 inches high, are characterized by their individualized expressions of grief and heavy, draped garments. The tomb, originally in the Chartreuse de Champmol at Dijon, has been reassembled in the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon, though some figures are now housed elsewhere.1