The Flickr Sarcophagus Image Generatr

Chicago Art Institute, May 2025.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the Dôme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

The twelve allegorical statues encircling Napoleon’s tomb in the crypt of the Dôme des Invalides were sculpted between 1846 and 1853 to represent the principal institutions and achievements of his reign. Each statue, carved from Vaurion limestone and standing over three meters tall, personifies a domain such as Civil Law, the Army, the Navy, Legislation, Industry, or Finance. Designed under architect Louis Visconti, the figures were executed by leading 19th-century sculptors including Jean-Jacques Feuchère, James Pradier, and Antoine-Louis Barye. Arranged in a solemn ring around the red quartzite sarcophagus, they form a symbolic guard of honor, reinforcing Napoleon’s legacy as both ruler and reformer.

The Dôme des Invalides, a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1708. Commissioned by Louis XIV as the royal chapel for the Hôtel des Invalides, the has evolved into a national sanctuary and military mausoleum. Its gilded dome, inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, rises 107 meters into the Parisian skyline.

Hôtel des Invalides was built in 1670 to the commission of Louis XIV as a royal residence for aged and injured soldiers. The complex, designed in the French classical style by Libéral Bruant, was run like a small fortified city housing up to 4,000 veterans and evolved into a symbol of French national identity. Its most iconic feature--the Dôme des Invalides—was added by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1680 and 1706. Today, it serves as a major site of remembrance and education, home to the Musée de l’Armée and the Tomb of Napoleon.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the DoÌme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

The twelve allegorical statues encircling Napoleonâs tomb in the crypt of the Dôme des Invalides were sculpted between 1846 and 1853 to represent the principal institutions and achievements of his reign. Each statue, carved from Vaurion limestone and standing over three meters tall, personifies a domain such as Civil Law, the Army, the Navy, Legislation, Industry, or Finance. Designed under architect Louis Visconti, the figures were executed by leading 19th-century sculptors including Jean-Jacques Feuchère, James Pradier, and Antoine-Louis Barye. Arranged in a solemn ring around the red quartzite sarcophagus, they form a symbolic guard of honor, reinforcing Napoleonâs legacy as both ruler and reformer.

The Dôme des Invalides, a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1708. Commissioned by Louis XIV as the royal chapel for the Hôtel des Invalides, the has evolved into a national sanctuary and military mausoleum. Its gilded dome, inspired by St. Peterâs Basilica in Rome, rises 107 meters into the Parisian skyline.

Hôtel des Invalides was built in 1670 to the commission of Louis XIV as a royal residence for aged and injured soldiers. The complex, designed in the French classical style by Libéral Bruant, was run like a small fortified city housing up to 4,000 veterans and evolved into a symbol of French national identity. Its most iconic feature--the Dôme des Invalidesâwas added by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1680 and 1706. Today, it serves as a major site of remembrance and education, home to the Musée de lâArmée and the Tomb of Napoleon.

The Dôme des Invalides, a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1708. Commissioned by Louis XIV as the royal chapel for the Hôtel des Invalides, the has evolved into a national sanctuary and military mausoleum. Its gilded dome, inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, rises 107 meters into the Parisian skyline.

Hôtel des Invalides was built in 1670 to the commission of Louis XIV as a royal residence for aged and injured soldiers. The complex, designed in the French classical style by Libéral Bruant, was run like a small fortified city housing up to 4,000 veterans and evolved into a symbol of French national identity. Its most iconic feature--the Dôme des Invalides—was added by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1680 and 1706. Today, it serves as a major site of remembrance and education, home to the Musée de l’Armée and the Tomb of Napoleon.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the DoÌme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

The twelve allegorical statues encircling Napoleonâs tomb in the crypt of the Dôme des Invalides were sculpted between 1846 and 1853 to represent the principal institutions and achievements of his reign. Each statue, carved from Vaurion limestone and standing over three meters tall, personifies a domain such as Civil Law, the Army, the Navy, Legislation, Industry, or Finance. Designed under architect Louis Visconti, the figures were executed by leading 19th-century sculptors including Jean-Jacques Feuchère, James Pradier, and Antoine-Louis Barye. Arranged in a solemn ring around the red quartzite sarcophagus, they form a symbolic guard of honor, reinforcing Napoleonâs legacy as both ruler and reformer.

The Dôme des Invalides, a masterpiece of French Baroque architecture, was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed in 1708. Commissioned by Louis XIV as the royal chapel for the Hôtel des Invalides, the has evolved into a national sanctuary and military mausoleum. Its gilded dome, inspired by St. Peterâs Basilica in Rome, rises 107 meters into the Parisian skyline.

Hôtel des Invalides was built in 1670 to the commission of Louis XIV as a royal residence for aged and injured soldiers. The complex, designed in the French classical style by Libéral Bruant, was run like a small fortified city housing up to 4,000 veterans and evolved into a symbol of French national identity. Its most iconic feature--the Dôme des Invalidesâwas added by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1680 and 1706. Today, it serves as a major site of remembrance and education, home to the Musée de lâArmée and the Tomb of Napoleon.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the Dôme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815. He led the French Republic as First Consul, then ruled as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French), King of Italy, Protector and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. He died in exile on the island of Saint Helena on May 5, 1821, and was buried in Geranium Valley. His remains were repatriated to France in 1840 during the Retour des Cendres, under orders from King Louis-Philippe.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the Dôme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815. He led the French Republic as First Consul, then ruled as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French), King of Italy, Protector and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. He died in exile on the island of Saint Helena on May 5, 1821, and was buried in Geranium Valley. His remains were repatriated to France in 1840 during the Retour des Cendres, under orders from King Louis-Philippe.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the Dôme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815. He led the French Republic as First Consul, then ruled as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French), King of Italy, Protector and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. He died in exile on the island of Saint Helena on May 5, 1821, and was buried in Geranium Valley. His remains were repatriated to France in 1840 during the Retour des Cendres, under orders from King Louis-Philippe.

Napoleon's tomb stands at the center of an open crypt located beneath the Dôme des Invalides. The grand, circular space was designed by architect Louis Visconti to house the remains of the Emperor following heir repatriation from Saint Helena in 1840, but not completed until 1861 when it was inaugurated by Napoleon III.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1796 to 1815. He led the French Republic as First Consul, then ruled as Empereur des Français (Emperor of the French), King of Italy, Protector and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. He died in exile on the island of Saint Helena on May 5, 1821, and was buried in Geranium Valley. His remains were repatriated to France in 1840 during the Retour des Cendres, under orders from King Louis-Philippe.

12-18th cent.

12-18th cent.

12-18th cent.

Phoenician sarcophagi
Sarcófagos antropomorfos fenicios

Museo de Cádiz
archaeology section
Cadiz ✫ Spain

male sarcophagus found 1887, the excavation gave rise to Cadiz's (former) archaeology museum
female sarcophagus found 1980
20250404_154335

Fittingly the final stop in my meanderings, the interior of the actual mausoleum indeed houses the mortal remains of King Mohammed V, flanked by a metaphorical honour guard of flags, and each of the four doors featuring a literal honour guard of palace guards (armed with machine guns, of course) in eternal vigilance.

No expense was spared for the final sultan of Morocco: the domed ceiling is mahogany, the walls are traditional hand-cut zellij mosaic the likes of which we had learned about in Fez, and the sarcophagus itself is white onyx, and there can often be seen a traditional reader from the Quran reciting sutras for the departed monarch.

This large sarcophagus, which was found in 1931 near via Tiburtina, in the eastern suburbs of the ancient city, shows on its front a symbolic picture of a battle, staged on two levels. The composition focuses on the progress of a Roman horseman, depicted in the guise of a universal victor, in a melée of soldiers, spears and horses; the Romans are delivering savage blows, devastating their enemies. The bloody scenes are framed by two pairs of enslaved barbarians, whose afflicted demeanour expresses the suffering which comes to those who rebel against the dominion of Rome. The dramatic animation of the combat is emphasized by the deep chiaroscuro obtained by a skillful feat of carving. The low relief on the sides of the sarcophagus shows events subsequent to the encounter: on one side barbarian prisoners cross a river, conducted by Roman soldiers on a bridge of boats, on the other the chiefs submit to the Roman officials.

The frieze on the lid, between two comer masks, celebrates the dead man and his wife, presented in the centre in the act of the dextrarum iunctio; on the left, the woman exercises her virtus in the house, educating her children; on the right, the man, after his warlike activities, receives the submission of the enemies, demonstrating his clementia. The faces of the principal characters remained incomplete, awaiting the carving of the features of the dead people. The decoration of the sarcophagus, inspired by many scenes on the Antonine Column, can be dated to around 180 CE. The military insignia represented on the upper edge of the casket - the eagle of the Legio IIII Flavia and the boar of the Legio I Italica - enable us perhaps to identify the dead man as Aulus Julius Pompilius, an official of Marcus Aurelius in command of two cavalry squadrons on detachment to these two legions during the war against the Marcomanni (172-175 CE).

Roman, late 2nd century CE, Rome.

Museo Nazionale Romano, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome (inv. 112.327)

The body of this sarcophagus depicts a detailed version of the impossible 'love story' of the shepherd, Endymion, and Selene, the goddess of the moon. Selene, captivated by Endymion's beauty, desires to be with him forever. She asks Zeus to grant the shepherd eternal youth, and Zeus chooses to grant him eternal sleep, forever young, allowing Selene to visit him each night. The goddess is shown riding away on her moon chariot (left side), after visiting Endymion each night in a cave on Mount Latmus (right side). The two scenes are separated by Aura, the goddess of dawn. Hypnos, the god of sleep, is shown on the far right above Endymion holding a poppy, with Cupids/Erotes flying about, assisting in the love match. An elderly shepherd, his faithful dog, and his flock are shown near the middle.

The story was popular on Roman sarcophagi because it was a metaphor for the separation of loved ones created by death and their appearance in dreams.

The gabled lid depicts, from left to right:

1. The Three Fates standing, flanked by kneeling figures of a woman wearing an Antonine hairstyle, and a man, who appear to entreat the goddesses.

2. A veiled and draped figure, probably the woman's soul, moving to the right.

3. Hades and Persephone seted on a double throne, appearing to welcome the spirit of the dead woman. On the left of the scene, the dog Cerberus and a garlanded altar; to the right is Cupid bearing a bowl, and a thymiaterion (incense burner).

4. Hermes Psychopompus approaches to the right of Hades and Persephone, looking back over his shoulder. He wears his winged petasos (wide-brimmed hat), and carries a staff and caduceus. His ankles are also winged.

5. On the far right, a man and a woman appear to rise from a couch; the man seems to plead with her to stay. On the left, a dog is howling. This refers to the death of the woman.

Sarcophagus: Roman, late 2nd-early 3rd century CE. From the church of S. Eustachio, Rome.

Lid: Roman, 2nd century CE. From the church of S. Eustachio, Rome.

Musei Capitolini, Palazzo Nuovo, Rome (inv. S 725)

Mirror calligraphy and ornate window shutters in the mausoleum of the Mevlâna Museum.

Upon the tombs are sikke (felt hats), symbols of Mevleviyeh.

Konya, Türkiye #1491
19 June 2024

Beautifully decorated pillar featuring gold-leaf muqarnas.

To the left is the sarcophagus and tomb room of Rumi and to the right is the turquoise-coloured coffin of one of his sons.

Mausoleum of the Mevlâna Museum, Konya, Türkiye #7489
19 June 2024

In the Mevlâna Museum there are many sarcophagi honouring relatives and those close to the Sufi mystic, poet and scholar.

The tomb of Seyh Kerimeddin Beyti (1292) features a large white turban, symbolic of the spiritual authority of Sufi teachers. Next to it on the left is the coffin of Şemseddin Çelebi, with a simple sekki on top.

To the right, the coffins with orange coverings are those of a) unknown, b) Osman Çelebi Kizi Vesile Hanim (1916) and c) Sultan Veled Oglu Vâcid Çelebi (1342), son of Sultan Veled, and who became the sheikh of the Mevlevi lodge.

On the walls are examples of 'mirrored calligraphy'.

Mevlâna Museum, Konya, Türkiye #7502
18 June 2024

Rumi's Mausoleum in Konya is also a place of pilgrimmage to honour other members of his family and the Sufi order.. It features magnificent calligraphy and colourful tile work.

On the left is Rumi's tomb and on the right of the photo is the tomb of Muzaffereddir Emir Alim, one of Rumi's sons. In front of the niche featuring gold-lit muquarnas is a Sufi symbol seen in several contexts at the museum complex.

Mevlâna Museum, Konya, Türkiye #1499
19 June 2024