Mirrors of the good death

Abstract

The choir of Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent boasts one of the most prestigious ensembles of Baroque funerary sculpture in the Low Countries: four magnificent episcopal tombs that reflect the post-Tridentine élan in the Southern Netherlands and underline the reinforced position of bishops during the Counter-Reformation. Dominated by a unifying black and white colour scheme, these monuments form an ‘episcopal dynastic mausoleum’ following the model of groups of royal tombs. Besides commemorating the bishops and highlighting their prestige, the tombs also served to adorn the cathedral and thus glorify God and his Church. Philippe argues that the monuments had didactic purposes too, rooted in the theory of the teaching of post-Tridentine images and linked to the Ars moriendi tradition. By presenting the bishops as exemplars of Catholic piety, this sculptural ensemble encouraged viewers to seek a good death.