COLOMBE, Michel
(b. ca. 1430, d. 1512, Tours)

Tomb of Francis II of Brittany and his Wife Marguerite de Foix

1502-07
Marble
Cathedral of Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)

The last Duchess of Brittany, Anne - who added her duchy to France by marrying first King Charles VIII and then King Louis XII - erected this monument to her parents. The personality of Michel Colombe cannot easily be seen in the work, since the idea for the monument came from Jean Perréal, who made the model for it. A new conception of the human form, a preoccupation with plastic qualities, a pronounced inclination towards harmony and balance, and a great refinement in execution distinguish this work as one of the great landmarks of the Renaissance in the northern countries.