Sculpturen van graven en gravinnen van Holland before 1881

These are images of sculptures of the Counts and Countesses of Holland, and it’s thought that they were originally made to decorate a tomb. The original sculptures are made of alabaster, a material prized for its fine grain and translucent quality. The sculptor would have used a variety of tools to achieve the precise details, including chisels, rasps, and files, to create the drapery and delicate features of each figure. This would have been an exacting process requiring patience and skill. Such work reflects a culture of labor and craft which was deeply embedded in medieval society. Commissioning funerary monuments was a way for the wealthy to demonstrate power and status, but they also supported entire workshops and helped to sustain artistic traditions over generations.