Anthony Van Dyck, follower of - Mater Dolorosa with the Arma Christi
Anthony Van Dyck, follower of
Mater Dolorosa with the Arma Christi
Oil on canvas (relined). 117 x 163.5 cm.
Our painting shows the iconographically unusual combination of the Mater Dolorosa, the "Sorrowful Mother" of Jesus, with the "Arma Christi", the instruments of His Passion. Following the pictorial tradition of the Mater Dolorosa, the seated Virgin Mary is depicted with a sword piercing Her chest and Her gaze turned upward towards heaven. The sword refers to the words of the prophet Simeon during the presentation of Christ in the Temple: "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also" (Luke 2:35). In this work, the motif is combined with the instruments of Christ's suffering, including the cross, the crown of thorns and the sponge with vinegar at the feet of the Mater Dolorosa. A putto standing on the left hand edge of the painting holds a scourge and the nails of the cross in his hand and he contemplates these objects of the Passion with anxious devotion. The three further putti and three cherubim in the cloud formation provide an additional expressive quality to the painting that lends it its special charm. They seem partly to want to comfort the sorrowful Virgin, and partly to accentuate the pain of Christ's Passion with their eloquent gestures.
In the past, this painting has been attributed to Pieter Thijs. However, Hans Vlieghe, whom we would like to thank for his assistance in cataloguing this lot, did not find this attribution entirely convincing. He recognizes in the figure of Mary rather a proximity to the works of Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert, but this is less true of the depiction of the putti. Thus, the artist of this exceptionally finely executed work with its effective composition and unusual iconography must remain anonymous for the time being, but may be sought among the followers of Anthony van Dyck.
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Anthony Van Dyck, follower of
Mater Dolorosa with the Arma Christi
Oil on canvas (relined). 117 x 163.5 cm.
Our painting shows the iconographically unusual combination of the Mater Dolorosa, the "Sorrowful Mother" of Jesus, with the "Arma Christi", the instruments of His Passion. Following the pictorial tradition of the Mater Dolorosa, the seated Virgin Mary is depicted with a sword piercing Her chest and Her gaze turned upward towards heaven. The sword refers to the words of the prophet Simeon during the presentation of Christ in the Temple: "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also" (Luke 2:35). In this work, the motif is combined with the instruments of Christ's suffering, including the cross, the crown of thorns and the sponge with vinegar at the feet of the Mater Dolorosa. A putto standing on the left hand edge of the painting holds a scourge and the nails of the cross in his hand and he contemplates these objects of the Passion with anxious devotion. The three further putti and three cherubim in the cloud formation provide an additional expressive quality to the painting that lends it its special charm. They seem partly to want to comfort the sorrowful Virgin, and partly to accentuate the pain of Christ's Passion with their eloquent gestures.
In the past, this painting has been attributed to Pieter Thijs. However, Hans Vlieghe, whom we would like to thank for his assistance in cataloguing this lot, did not find this attribution entirely convincing. He recognizes in the figure of Mary rather a proximity to the works of Thomas Willeboirts Bosschaert, but this is less true of the depiction of the putti. Thus, the artist of this exceptionally finely executed work with its effective composition and unusual iconography must remain anonymous for the time being, but may be sought among the followers of Anthony van Dyck.
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