Mourning Mary
Unknown Artist
c. 1710–40
Medium
stone with traces of original color
Dimensions
130.2 × 59.3 × 43.2 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession Number
1967.229
About this artwork
This figure’s orientation suggests it may have been part of a Crucifixion group, situated to the left of Christ with another figure to the right to balance the composition. Fingers knotted in prayer, lips parted in anguish, the Virgin appears to recoil from the sight of her son on the cross. Her contorted pose and agitated draperies are visible manifestations of her grief. Obvious signs of wear to the stone suggest that the group may have been set outside of a church, perhaps atop pillars.