The Dead Christ Mourned by Saint Mary Magdalen (recto); The Holy Family with an Attendant (verso)
1778–87
Medium
Pen and brown ink, on beige paper (recto); black chalk (verso)
Dimensions
5 3/16 x 6 5/16in. (13.2 x 16cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cephas G. Thompson, 1887
Accession Number
87.12.157
Tags
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Cades, an Italian artist active in late 18th-century Rome, created this intimate double-sided drawing between 1778 and 1787. On the recto, pen and brown ink vividly captures *The Dead Christ Mourn by Saint Mary Magdalen portraying the biblical moment of profound grief as Mary Magdalene cradles the lifeless body of Jesus, a poignant Pietà-like scene emphasizing themes of death and devotion. Flipped over, the verso in black chalk reveals *The Holy Family with anendant*, offering a tender domestic vision of Mary, Joseph, the Christ child, and a servant, highlighting familial piety centra...