The Tomb of the Prince of Kleve: Medieval Iconography in a Counter-Reformation Monument

• In Event: Lying in State: The Effigy in Early Modern Italian Funerary Art ca. 1400–1600 II

Abstract

The kneeling effigy appears for the first time in Rome on the tomb of Karl Friedrich von Julich-Kleve-Berg (1577–79). The monument is an example of the revival of late medieval tomb types that often displayed the deceased multiple times; for example, as a reclining effigy and a kneeling supplicant. The display of neo-medieval features was part of Pope Gregory XIII’s propaganda to celebrate the Golden Age of Catholic doctrine. This paper will demonstrate how the imagery exhibited on the Kleve tomb celebrates the main tenets of the Counter-Reformation, particularly because much of the prince’s reign occurred during an intense period of strife between Catholics and Protestants. In addition, two concept drawings, attributed to Hans Speckaert, of the tomb’s relief work offer insight into the composition process, and demonstrate the possible collaboration between Speckaert, a well-known painter and draughtsman, and the Flemish workshop that produced the monument.

Author

• Tancredi Farina, "Sapienza," Università di Roma