Montmorency Tomb

This tomb reveals the new Roman influence which the Anguiers introduced into France. The model for the monument as a whole is to be sought early in the century in Giacomo della Porta's Aldobrandini tombs in S. Maria sopra Minerva, although Anguier has enriched the design by sculptured decoration. The style of the figure sculpture is a variation of that which the artists would have learnt in the studio of Algardi in the 1640s, that is to say, a form of Baroque less extreme than Bernini's, and therefore more easily acceptable than his to a French public. The reclining figure of the Duke shows clearly the combination of influences present here. The pose is one traditional in France since the early seventeenth century, but the twist on the body, the undercut curls of the hair, and the lively treatment of the drapery all betray a Roman origin. In the figure of the Duchess classical influence is more visible, and this is even more clearly the case with the allegorical statues at the side of the main group which were executed by pupils. Michel Anguier's share seems to be limited to the seated Hercules below on the left, antique in conception but with some Baroque movement in the pose of torso and head.