Wonders of sculpture . ad of Mary of Burgundy rests on a large cushion,and her feet on two small lapdogs. Her statue ischiefly remarkable for the delicate carving of thedraperies and clothes. Mary died, as we know, attwenty-five, from a fall from her horse, and hertomb, made several years before that of her father,is the better of the two. The branches of the treesin copper, and the little angels of the same metalwhich support the armorial bearings—all the orna-ments, in fact—are of the most delicate execution. But although this tomb of Mary of Burgundymay surpass those of her son, Philip the
Wonders of sculpture . ad of Mary of Burgundy rests on a large cushion,and her feet on two small lapdogs. Her statue ischiefly remarkable for the delicate carving of thedraperies and clothes. Mary died, as we know, attwenty-five, from a fall from her horse, and hertomb, made several years before that of her father,is the better of the two. The branches of the treesin copper, and the little angels of the same metalwhich support the armorial bearings—all the orna-ments, in fact—are of the most delicate execution. But although this tomb of Mary of Burgundymay surpass those of her son, Philip the Good, andoi her daughter-in-law, Joanna the Crazy, whichwe noticed in the cathedral of Granada, it is byno means equal to those of her ancestors, John theFearless and Philip the Hardy, Dukes of Burgundy,now in the museum of Dijon. All the details ofthese Lilliputian buildings, the pointed archesthree feet high, the cloisters, in which pace figuresfifteen inches long, the pinnacles, the little angels, o 3 C C C- o 3. FLEMISH SCULPTURE. 267 the marble and alabaster lacework, are remarkable,not only for exquisite finish and perfection of work-manship, but also for elegance of design, harmonyof proportions, and suitable arrangements. Thestatuettes of the mourners, that is, of the prayingmonks and weeping officers of the palace, arereally wonderful. There are eighty small figures,each of which taken alone is a little masterpiece,and seen together, their beauty and excellence areenhanced by contrast. The attitudes, of extra-ordinary variety, are all natural, the expressionsall true and full of feeling, whilst the style of theheads, the fall of the draperies, and the delicacy ofthe execution, surpass all that we should have ex-pected from the age in which they were tombs, the details of which will bear com-parison with the bas-reliefs of Ghiberti and of JeanGoujon, may well be considered the most preciousrelics of the period immediately preceding thegreat Renaissanc
Size: 1266px × 1974px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublis, booksubjectsculpture
