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Opening June 20 at the Saint Louis Museum fo Art

Between 2010 and 2012, FRAME is bringing 39 celebrated masterpieces of medieval Burgundian sculpture to seven museums across the United States (see schedule of FRAME museums at right). The Mourners: Tomb Sculpture from the Court of Burgundy, consists of sculptures from the tomb of John the Fearless (1342-1404), the second duke of Burgundy. His elaborate tomb, once housed at a monastery on the outskirts of Dijon, is now one of the centerpieces of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon. The exhibition draws almost entirely from the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, which, with the Dallas Museum of Art, is organizing the exhibition. In association with this exhibition, FRAME has also undertaken The Mourners Photography Project, which presents 360-degree, detailed, and true 3D photographs of the sculptures in the exhibitions in addition to the highlight photos shown below. [See "SPECIAL FEATURE: Discover the Mourners..." at right]

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EXHIBITION

Start the image sequence (10 images)

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, which during their reign became a major center of artistic patronage. 
Their court's sculpture workshop, presided over by Claus Sluter and his followers, produced some of the most profound and original art of the period. The tombs of the first and second Burgundian Dukes, Philip the Bold and John the Fearless, are among the summits of their achievement. Each tomb includes in its lower register an elaborate arcade in the flamboyant gothic style, populated by a solemn processional of alabaster figures of monks and clerics that appear to circulate around the tomb as if it were a cloister. These sculptures, known as the mourners, are small-scale embodiments of late medieval devotion. Though part of a larger monument, each sculpture is a masterpiece in its own right, and each mourner is carefully individualized.  While some of the figures are shown wringing their hands or drying their tears, others appear lost in solemn contemplation, while still others hide their faces in the deeply carved folds of their robes.

The ongoing expansion and renovation of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon has created the opportunity for these exceptional works to travel together to the United States.  The tombs of the first and second dukes of Burgundy have been displayed since the early 19th century within the dukes' medieval palace, which now forms part of the Museum. These galleries will be renovated between 2010 and 2012, providing a first and only opportunity to present the full suite of mourners independent of the architectural framework of the tomb itself, allowing the sculptures to be viewed and appreciated as discrete works of art. While the mourners from the tomb of Philip the Bold will remain on view in another portion of the museum, those from the tomb of John the Fearless will make this unprecedented American tour, followed by a final stop in Paris, at the Musée National du Moyen-Age / Thermes de Cluny, before they return to Dijon, where they will resume their eloquent perambulations.

The exhibition is supported by a leadership gift from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.  Additional support is provided by the Florence Gould Foundation, the Eugene McDermott Foundation, Connie Goodyear Baron and Boucheron.  Major corporate support is provided by Bank of the West - Member BNP Paribas Group.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

The Mourners Photography Project
In association with this exhibition, FRAME has also undertaken The Mourners Photography Project, which presents 360-degree, detailed, and true 3D photographs of the sculptures in the exhibitions in addition to the SPECIAL FEATURE and the highlight photos shown opposite.

The Mourners Photography Project is made possible by a generous grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.