Continental School (19th century) - Our Lady of Sorrows
Oil on canvas
Size: 45x34cm
It is believed that the artist is part of the Continental School (a group of artists active in this region during the 19th Century that derived from academic tradition). The artist displays a skilled hand and a strong talent for history paintings and portraiture.
The title of the painting ‘Our Lady of Sorrow’ would indicate the figure is Mary Magdalene. The symbolism in the composition would also support this assumption. Mary Magdalene is portrayed looking sorrowfully down at a crown of thorns and steel arrow on a wooden table. She is dressed in a green headdress to symbolize penitence and the yellow undergarment symbolizes remembrance. The red sleeves represent love, and the blue cloak represents peace. The crown of thorns and the steel arrow represents Jesus’s martyrdom. The painting is a traditional image of the biblical figure, and the artist is unquestionably inspired by Renaissance masters who depicted Mary Magdalene in the 15th Century.
