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Mater Dolorosa

ca. 1674–85
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 550
Carved wood sculpture, enhanced by paint and other media, including glass eyes and hair, reached a pinnacle of naturalism and expressive force in 17th-century Spain. Pedro de Mena’s virtuoso manipulation of these materials created startling likenesses of bodies and clothing. They encourage in the beholder an empathetic response to the suffering of mother and son, who appear as exemplars of worldly forbearance in the face of tragedy. Carved details such as the twisted and knotted rope binding Christ’s hands or the Virgin’s thin, deeply undercut drapery are joined by the subtle and descriptive painting in thin glazes of the silver and red brocade of the Virgin’s tunic and the bruises that cover Christ’s flesh. Mena’s desire was to make the figures seem physically present before the viewer. At the same time, they have a dignity and reserve that made them ideal works for contemplation.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mater Dolorosa
  • Artist: Pedro de Mena (Spanish, Granada 1628–1688 Málaga)
  • Date: ca. 1674–85
  • Culture: Spanish, probably Málaga
  • Medium: Partial-gilt polychrome wood
  • Dimensions: sculpture only, confirmed: 24 13/16 × 23 1/8 × 15 in. (63 × 58.7 × 38.1 cm);
    on black base, confirmed: 26 × 24 3/4 × 16 1/2 in., 44.2 lb. (66 × 62.9 × 41.9 cm, 20 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, Mary Trumbull Adams Fund, and Gift of Dr. Mortimer D. Sackler, Theresa Sackler and Family, 2014
  • Object Number: 2014.275.2
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Ecce Homo, Pedro de Mena Spanish, Partial-gilt polychrome wood, Spanish, probably Málaga
Ecce Homo
Pedro de Mena
ca. 1674–85
Saint Anthony of Padua, Pedro de Mena or Spanish, Wood (including black wood and ebony) and gesso, polychromed and gilded; Cross: inlaid with mother-of-pearl; Eyes: probably shell, Spanish
Saint Anthony of Padua
Pedro de Mena
Alonso Cano
late 17th–early 18th century
Saint John the Baptist, Juan Martínez Montañés Spanish, Polychromed wood with gilding, Spanish, Seville
Saint John the Baptist
Juan Martínez Montañés
ca. 1620–30
The Child Jesus Triumphant, Juan de Mesa Spanish, Andalusian, Polychromed lead, glass, silver, silk and silver-gilt lace, Spanish, Seville
The Child Jesus Triumphant
Juan de Mesa
ca. 1625
A Hypocrite and a Slanderer, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt German, Tin alloy, Austrian, probably Pressburg (Bratislava)
A Hypocrite and a Slanderer
Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
ca. 1770–83

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