Lament for a Lost Queen: The Sarcophagus of Dona Blanca in Najera

Abstract

The death of a queen in childbirth in 1156 and the grief of her bereaved husband are represented on her sarcophagus. His lamentation, reenacted in the reliefs, constitutes a prayer for her soul and a device to assure the salvation of both queen and king. As part of Blanca's memorialization, the sculpture describes her salvation in feminized terms; the value of a good mother and her sacrifice are expressed by interweaving images of maternity, martyrdom, and judgment. Court culture, and liturgical, literary, and artistic sources for the images are explored, as is the political significance of the queen's burial site.

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