Canopy from the tomb of Philip III (the Bold) of France (1245-1285)
The royal abbey was the burial church for the kings and queens of France. This elaborate architectural canopy was originally an integral part of the tom of Philip III, son of Louis IX (Saint Louis). Commissioned by Philip IV (the Fair) (1268–1314) for the embalmed body of his father, who died in 1285 while on a military crusade against Aragon, master sculptor Jean d’Arras made the tomb in black and white marble. A new approach to a tomb representation is here achieved with the effigy placed against a black marble slab with another relatively new feature, a canopy over the deceased that may be intended to signify heaven. A masterpiece of micro-architecture the refined interior vaults also includes a masked man and grotesque animals on the exterior. The effigy is still in the abbey; both it and the canopy were removed in the wake of the French Revolution in 1796.
Artwork Details
- Title: Canopy from the tomb of Philip III (the Bold) of France (1245-1285)
- Artist: Jean d'Arras (French, active 1297–1307)
- Date: 1297–1307
- Geography: Made in Ile-de-France, France
- Culture: French
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: Overall: 15 3/4 x 28 1/2 x 19 3/4 in. (40 x 72.4 x 50.2 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture-Architectural-Stone
- Credit Line: Bequest of George Blumenthal and Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maxime Levy Hermanos, by exchange, 2007
- Object Number: 2007.540
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jean de Liège
ca. 1381
French
ca. 1150–60
French
ca. 1350
French
ca. 1350
French
ca. 1350
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.