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Images: W. Gonxalez

Loren McIntyre

Images by W. Gonxalez

Image: W. Gonxalez

Image W. Gonxalez

Image: W. Gonxalez

"Memento mori tomb", the "Transi de René de Chalons" by Ligier Richier, in the church of Saint Etienne in Bar-le-Duc, France: Some state that the statue is from 1545. Rene de Chalon, prince of Orange, who was married to Anne de Lorraine died at the young age of 25 during the siege of Saint-Dizier in 1544. His heart and intestines were cut out and kept in Bar-le-Duc, this was usual for noblemen at the time. His body was send back to Breda where he was born. Anne de Lorraine his widow was still very sad three years after his death so she ordered Ligier Richier to make a statue depicting her husband as he would be then. The right hand clutches at the empty rib cage while the left hand holds high his heart in a grand gesture The heart in his hand served as a reliquary and contained the actual dried heart of Rene de Challon

Image by W. Gonxalez