Pilaster with military trophies

This was part of the tomb of the condottiere Gaston de Foix, who died a heroic death on 11 April 1512 at Ravenna in the battle between the French and the Holy League. Designed for Milan Cathedral by his cousin Odet de Foix with the support of King Francis I of France, the tomb was never completed. It was later moved to the church of Santa Maria and by the mid-sixteenth century it had already been dismantled. Inspired by Roman works, the reliefs of these most beautifully sculpted little pilasters include compositions with armour plates and helmets from antiquity together with modern cannons.
Other fragments of the funerary monument are now in Milan (Castello Sforzesco) and London (Victoria and Albert Museum).