Spanish school; 17th century. "Dolorosa with attributes of the Passion." Oil on canvas.

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Old Masters

By Setdart Auction House

Jun 30, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-30 08:30:00 2021-06-30 08:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Old Masters https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7134
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• Lot Description
  Spanish school; 17th century. "Dolorosa with attributes of the Passion." Oil on canvas. Presents minor faults. Measures: 82 x 65 cm. We see in this painting a devotional image of the Sorrows of the Virgin, with Mary dressed in red, symbolic color of the Passion of Christ, with her chest pierced by a sword that represents her pain, and accompanied by the symbols of the Passion, the nails and the crown of thorns, in addition to the legend where you can read I.N.R.I. Mary holds with both hands a white cloth in whose center is located the crown of thorns, which still retains drops of blood from the face of Christ. The virgin inscribed in a dark background that monumentalizes her figure and contrasts with the warmth of her white face, directs her gaze upwards. This somewhat reflective or imploring attitude brings the faithful, or the observer, closer to the suffering of the Virgin, who is still a mother, gathering the elements of torture of her son. Specifically, it is the theme of the Virgin of Sorrows and Solitude, which presents Mary alone, sometimes with her chest pierced by one or more swords, as we see here. This representation being very close to popular sentiment, the iconography of the Virgin of Sorrows was followed by that of Solitude: Mary, completely alone, is plagued by the memory of the main moments of her life, afflicted in solitude, without her Son. The devotion to the sorrows of the Virgin has its roots in medieval times, and was especially spread by the Servite order, founded in 1233. There are many and varied iconographic representations that have as central theme the Virgin Mary in her Sorrowful aspect, being the first of them in which she appears next to the Child Jesus, who sleeps oblivious to the future of suffering that awaits him. In these works the cross is usually present, the main symbol of the Passion, embraced even by the Child, while Mary observes him with a pathetic expression. Another aspect is the one that is part of the Pietà, similar to the previous one, although her Son is here dead, not asleep, depicted as an adult and after his crucifixion. In the oldest representations of this theme, the body of Christ appears disproportionately small, as a symbol of the memory that the mother has of her Son's childhood, when she contemplated him asleep on her lap. Finally, the Virgin of Sorrows and Solitude also stands out in importance, as can be seen in this work, where Mary appears alone, sometimes with her heart pierced by one or more swords.
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