The Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-Prés

The Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-Prés

Jean Chafourier

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Drawing of a large recessed arch supported by Corinthian columns (three narrow columns on the left and two larger on the right). Winged skeletons hold back drapery to dramatically reveal a tomb, placed under the arch against the wall. On top of the sarcophagus a Doric column is placed flanked by two female figures: pity and faith, each holding a medallion. Below is a cartouche with military trophies (Roman and Syrian) on either side. The washes applied to the drawing indicate the use of colored marbles.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-PrésThe Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-PrésThe Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-PrésThe Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-PrésThe Castellan Tomb in Saint Germain-des-Prés

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.