Three Mourners

The three figures are from the tomb in Dijon of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.

The Mourners of Sluter reenact a funeral procession with the clerical and court dignitaries leading a company of Carthusian monks in various state of mourning. The appeal of these figures is universal. Their diminutive scale adds to the charm of their characterization. They seem like pious dwarfs weighed down in their sorrows and mantles, and one can sense a certain touch of humour in a number of them, who, weary and tired from such a long march in hot weather, convey their different states of mind. Some remain pious to the end, covering their heads as they recite prayers for Philip’s salvation. Others appear disenchanted by the ordeal, and one even holds his nose from the stench of the dead flesh of the duke in the summer sun.