| Cadaver tomb of Guillaume de Harsigny | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Size | Length: 184 cm (72 in) |
| Created | 1394 |
| Present location | Musée d'art et d'archéologie de Laon, France |
The Cadaver Tomb of Guillaume de Harsigny is a 1394 cadaver monument (transi) now in the Musée d'art et d'archéologie de Laon (Musée de Laon). It is notable as one of the earliest known French transi, and the first to be sculpted in the round (ie fully three dimensional as opposed to carved on coffin lid or stone slab).[1] The original monument contained a tomb chest holding his remains, however this was lost in 1841. Similarly, the effigy had been painted black, this too is lost.
It was commissioned by Guillaume de Harsigny (c. 1300–1393), a French doctor who was one of the most notable physicians of his time. He became court physician to Charles V of France, and gained fame after an apparently successful operation on the King's skull after the monarch had suffered a nervous breakdown.[2]