#bonefool

The fame of the place caused great demand for burials, especially after the black plague and wars. The bones of the long dead began being exhumed and stored in the basement of the chapel (legend says one monk spent all his later years just exhuming and organizing the bones of 40-70k people) 400 years later local nobility hired the man Rint to redesign the bone piles, and his elaborate designs now attract 200,000 visitors annually. Over 3 years, his labor created 4 chandeliers, a massive coat of arms of his benefactors, the Schwarzenberger family, and his own bone signature.

The Jewish artist struggled in Odessa for official recognition. At one point he was contracted to create a golden crown in the manner of ancient Pythian funeral work. It was magnificent enough to be purchased by the Louvre, but historical inaccuracies raised red flags. The infamy he received became fame when he brought this skeleton and coffin to Paris. Eventually Russian pogroms and lucrative commissions in France convinced his whole family to emigrate. He declares this piece took almost a decade to complete.

I'm hoping to ask around about this person, what a fantastic character!