Click here to register for the Murray Seminar, 4 November 2020
Nowadays located in the backwaters of Eastern France, the monumental Sépulcre in Saint-Mihiel is certainly one of the most remarkable works of sixteenth-century sculpture. Crafted in ca. 1560 by the Lorraine artist Ligier Richier it is among the few artifacts of the region that have attracted art historical interest at all. Mostly scholars interpreted it as a fragment of a much bigger project that included not only an entombment but also a crucifixion and a lamentation. It was assumed that these scenes have remained unfinished because the sculptor—interestingly a Calvinist—had to flee the country for religious reasons in 1564.
In contrast, this talk will reveal that the idiosyncrasies of the indeed highly unusual program have very different reasons. With a surprisingly prominent background, it can be regarded as one of the most sophisticated of the time that contains much more than just a religious message in the context of rising conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. Combining influences of a multitude of prominent artifacts of the period the Sépulcre also becomes almost a key work for the understanding of some important political aspects of sixteenth-century France.
We hope that you can join us.
The History of Art Department,
Birkbeck, University of London
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