Tomb of Francis II, Duke of Brittany, Renaissance marble tomb in Nantes Cathedral, France.
The Tomb of Francis II, Duke of Brittany, is a marble sarcophagus in Nantes Cathedral, around 13 ft (390 cm) wide and about 4 ft (127 cm) tall. On the lid lie full-length recumbent figures of the duke and his wife Margaret of Foix, while four allegorical figures stand at the corners of the decorated base.
Michel Colombe completed this work in 1507, commissioned by Anne of Brittany to honor her parents, Francis II and Margaret of Foix. It is considered one of the first Renaissance works to arrive in Brittany, marking a shift in the artistic style of the region.
The four corner figures of the tomb represent virtues, and one of them, Justice, is shown blindfolded, which was unusual for the time. Visitors today can walk close to the marble and observe the fine detail in the faces and hands of each carved figure.
The tomb is inside Nantes Cathedral, in the city center, and can be viewed from all sides. Walking slowly around it gives a good view of the base figures and the recumbent forms on top, which are easier to read from slightly further back.
During the French Revolution, architect Mathurin Crucy arranged to have the tomb quietly removed from the cathedral and kept safe, preventing it from being destroyed like many other works of that period. The tomb returned to the cathedral once the period of destruction was over.
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