Sluter, Claus

Sluter, Claus klous slüˈtər [key], d. 1406, Flemish sculptor, probably of Dutch extraction, active in Burgundy. Under Philip the Bold of Burgundy he had charge of the sculptural works for the porch of the Chartreuse of Champmol, near Dijon; there stands his pedestal for a Calvary—the Well of Moses—with its strongly individualized figures of Moses, David, and the Prophets, a masterpiece of realism, dignity, and power. Another magnificent work at Dijon is the tomb of Philip the Bold, with a recumbent effigy upon the sarcophagus and 40 small alabaster figures of mourners set in niches in its sides. The tomb was finished by Claus de Werve, nephew and pupil of Sluter and also his assistant on the Well of Moses.

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