Customer Reviews

The Mourners: Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy

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Rare it is when a catalogue of a museum exhibition can capture the aura of the event as well as this very beautiful catalogue. Touring the country now (and currently at the Lo Angeles County Museum of Art) is a sensitively curated exhibition titled 'The Mourners: Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy'. It is a rather small in number collection - thirty-seven sculptures from the tomb of John the Fearless (1371-1419), the second duke of Burgundy - but the impact of the placement and the lighting of the exhibition is solemn and majestic. It is difficult to tell whether the museum followed the lighting details of the works in this comprehensive catalogue,but rest assured that if the reader doesn't have the opportunity to view the traveling exhibition, this catalogue as a book takes you into the tombs.

Sophie Jugie, director of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon, is the author and provides in-depth examination of the history of these rather small alabaster sculptures form the tombs of Philip the Bold (1342-1404) and his son, John the Fearless (1371-1440), informing us 'During the late Middle Ages, the dukes of Burgundy--the wealthiest and most powerful aristocrats in northern Europe--commissioned sculptors of great renown to decorate their magnificent court in Dijon. Working in a studio presided over by Claus Sluter, these sculptors created monuments for the ducal family that rivaled contemporary Italian works.'

The catalogue provides the ability to appreciate the detail and the common atmosphere of these monks, choir boys, deacons, bishops and cantors. The drapery alone is luminous and the photography and design of the book is very much in keeping with the concept of Mourners in a tomb. As background the museum walls offer commentary and history taken form Jugie's book: 'During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Valois dukes of Burgundy ruled over extensive territories in present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands from their capital in Dijon. The significant artistic patronage of the dukes drew artists, musicians and writers to Dijon, which became a major center of artistic production. The alabaster tomb sculptures exemplify some of the most important artistic innovations of the late Middle Ages. The sculptures, each 16 inches high, depict sorrowful figures expressing their grief or devotion to the second Duke, who was both a powerful political figure and patron of the arts. Each individual figure has a different expression; some wring their hands or dry their tears, while others appear lost in solemn contemplation, or hide their faces in the deeply carved folds of their robes.' This is a catalogue from an important presentation that is well worth the investment. Grady Harp, May 11

Just had the chance to visit the MET M of Art yesterday (May 12th) with a few good friends, and happily, took it. On our way to view the BELLES HEURES OF JEAN, DUKE OF BERRY, we entered the newly reworked Mediaeval Wing to see the The Mourners: Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy. Only a few have ever seen these sculptures from every angle, and standing only 3 feet from the plinth upon which they stood, was an experience even at the Met.. Words fail. The exhibit was simple one, but effectively placed the figures in such a way that we could easily see the the grain and colors of the alabaster, the sculptor's tool marks, the skillfully carved pages of a book, & could almost smell the tallow of candles long since expired. I can't afford to buy even half the catalogues of the exhibits I get the chance to see, but I bought this one.

No regrets the day after. The photography is ghostly, the printing & binding, excellent. Now I can stand still and study each figure. During our mid-week visit, the Museum was packed. We had to move with the crowd 'round & 'round the plinth hearing "no pictures please, no pictures." The pics in the catalog are much better than anything I could have taken, so again, no regrets.

As the other reviews note, the exhibit is great. The book, on the other hand, is poorly written, badly organized, and badly bound. The photographs are excellent.

Excellent photographs as far as they went. I would have preferred more information about the sculptors and their methods, as well as more close-up photographs of each sculpture. Be aware that you are not allowed to photograph the sculptures at the exhibit. The written history jumped around to the point I felt I needed a scorecard to keep track of who was whom, and on the whole, mentioned the sculptures mostly in passing.

This book is an excellent companion to an exhibit I saw recently at the St. Louis Art Museum. Very informative regarding the history and background of these exquisite figures and the photographs are marvelous. For lovers of art and history.

This is a beautifully produced book on a fascinating group of sculptures. The text is informative but the highlight are the detailed views of each individual figure in a grouping of very beautiful and mysterious small figurative sculptures that are usually less visible on site.

If you like museums and love Medieval sculpture, yes!

I got lucky, with one free afternoon during a pressured business trip: a spring day in Central Park, with dogwood, cherry, magnolia, and other flowering trees whose 'names' I don't know all blooming. But I spotted a poster for this temporary exhibit of Burgundian sculpture in alabaster, at the Met. The tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Austria is under restoration and the "Mourners", figures that are usually difficult to view in their elaborate architectural setting, are on display in the center of the Met's Medieval sculpture gallery. I don't think they'll be exhibited anywhere else, so this is, as the museum-keepers declare, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study them. If you live near New York (lucky you) and are planning a visit to the Bitten Apple soon, do not miss this show!

But if you can't get there, you'll find this book very interesting anyway. The photos are excellent and the text is intelligent.

The show and the book are magnificent.
The binding fell apart the first time I used it.