| Tomb of Valentina Balbiani | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Germain Pilon |
| Medium | Marble |
| Dimensions | 83.0 cm × 49.0 cm × 191.4 cm (2 ft 8.7 in × 1 ft 7.3 in × 6 ft 3.4 in)[1] |
| Location | Louvre, Paris |
The Tomb of Valentina Balbiani is a white marble tomb sculpture constructed by the French sculptor Germain Pilon c. 1580 for Jeanne Valentine Balbiani (1518–1572), the Italian wife of the French statesman, chancellor and cardinal René de Birague (1506–1583).
Once part of a large and very complex monument, the remaining pieces consists of two depictions of Balbiani: one showing her alive and propped up reading a book, the other showing her emaciated body in death. The monument was originally in the Couvent Sainte-Catherine-du-Val-des-Écoliers, Paris, which was destroyed during the French Revolution. The monument was dismantled in 1793, and the effigies have been in the collection of the Louvre since 1847, and are now in room 214.[1]
- ^ a b "Valentine Balbiani accoudée (Chiari, 1518 - Paris, 1572), épouse de René de Birague (1506-1583). Louvre. Retrieved 19 July 2024