Ligier Richier

Ligier Richier (c. 1500—1567) was a French sculptor active in Saint-Mihiel in Northeastern France.

Richier primarily worked in the churches of his native Saint-Mihiel. Starting in 1530, he enjoyed the patronage of Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, who commissioned his work. Whilst Richier did sometimes work in wood, he preferred the pale, soft limestone with its fine grain, and few veins, extracted at Saint Mihiel and Sorcy and when working in this medium he experimented with refined polishing techniques, with which he was able to give the stone a marble-like appearance.^[1] One of his finest works is the "Groupe de la Passion", consisting of 13 life-size figures made in the local stone of the Meuse region. It can be found in the Church of St. Étienne.^[2] It is also known as the "Pâmoison de la Vierge" (Swoon of the Virgin, the Virgin fainting, supported by St John).^[3] Other works attributed to him are in the Church of St. Pierre, Bar-le-Duc, and in the Louvre.

His work "Le Transi de René de Chalon" is in the church of Saint-Étienne in Bar-le-Duc. Made in Sorcy stone and standing at 1m74cm, it depicts the corpse of René of Châlon, Prince of Orange (who died on the 15th of July 1544) in the form of a flayed corpse clutching its own heart.^[4]