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Secondary sourceArtifact

Tomb of Henry II and Eleanor at Fontevraud

krischnig

A 2008 photograph of the painted stone effigies of Henry II and Eleanor lying side by side in the abbey church at Fontevraud.

Shows the tomb that commemorates Eleanor beside her husband Henry II, a monument to her place in the royal family.

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Two painted stone recumbent effigies on tomb chests in a pale church nave at Fontevraud. The left effigy is a man holding an open book, the right a woman with her head on a pillow. Both wear blue robes over red-draped tomb sides. A wooden walkway and metal railing run behind them, with rows of chairs and stone columns in the background.
krischnig, Tomb of Henry and Eleanor at Fontevraud, 2008. Wikimedia Commons.

About this source

What it is

This is a 2008 photograph by krischnig of two painted stone effigies on tomb chests in the nave of the abbey church at Fontevraud, France. The left figure is a man holding an open book. The right figure is a woman with her head resting on a pillow. Both wear blue robes over red-draped tomb sides. A wooden walkway and a metal railing run behind them.

Why it matters

Effigies like these were made to commemorate the people they show. This tomb represents Eleanor together with her husband, the king Henry II of England. Because the photograph is a modern picture of a monument, it shows how the tomb is presented today, not the details of how it was first made.

Look closer

  • What do the poses and objects on each effigy suggest about how the couple wanted to be remembered?
  • Why might the tomb be placed in a church, and who would see it there?
  • What can a photograph taken today not tell us about the original colours and surroundings?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Eleanor of Aquitaine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Close view of a recumbent stone effigy with painted surfaces. A carved hand holds an open book, and a carved head rests on a pillow with a cushion-like support behind it. Dark background.Sculpture

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Aerial oblique view of the Fontevraud Abbey complex: a large monastic building with steep slate roofs, a tall white stone tower on the left, a green cloister garden in the center, surrounded by outbuildings, walls, trees and a paved courtyard.Artifact

Primary source

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Robert of Arbrissel · founded 1101

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