A current exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts focuses on sculptures from the workshop of Claus Sluter. Take a look at this link for more information about the works from Dijon. The exhibit is up through April 15, 2012.
Professor M. Och
ARTH 114 and ARTH 115: Introduction to Western Art, University of Mary Washington
These sculptures by Claus Sluter truly evoke emotion with the use of expression and body language. All of the mourners have individual personalities and emotions. I think it is very impressive for Sluter to be able to produce such an assimilation of unique, individual sculptures. All of these mourners exemplify the true devastation that comes from the death of an individual.
I like how each sculpture shows a different stance, a different position on mourning. Some appear hooded with more curved shoulders, clasped hands- this body language to me comes off as depression, very emotional and withdrawn. Where as some of the other sculptures positions show portray a monk in mourning but with a book, a book of prayer, not as torn up with grief or at least dealing with grief differently then the other mourners. I really like the fact that while the monks, the mourners are unified by the same emotion as well as their clothes, they each show a different stage of mourning/a different severity of grief through their body language.