From the William Blundell Spence Collection in Florence
Title of Art: Man of Sorrows between the Virgin, St. John the Evangelist and Symbols of the Passion
Artist: Firenze
Art Form: Painting
Date of Composition: 1404
Subjects: Mary, Mother of God
Exhibit Institution: Le Gallerie degli Uffizi (The Uffizi)
Exhibit Location: Florence, Italy
VM Image #: 0108
Photographer: Shala Graham
Date of Photograph: January 7, 2023
Featured on Podcast: Listen to Podcast
Download: 
Full View:
This large altarpiece connects the themes of Christ's atonement, the lamentation of the Virgin and John the Evangelist with the narration of the Passion using symbols. The comparison with the same subject in the painting by Niccolo di Pietro Gerini shows Lorenzo Monaco's more modern use of pictorial language. Lorenzo's work is characterized by a narrative that is more human in tone and presents an image of the tomb enhanced by decoration inspired by ancient sarcophagi, a prelude to humanistic culture.
Here, Christ stands in a sarcophagus and is flanked with his mother Mary on his right and St. John the Evangelist (Baptist) on his left. Mary is cloaked in her common blue shall, and peeking through it is her red dress. Mary gazes up at her son, mourning his death and all that has unfolded around them. Though he was betrayed and crucified, as his mother, she was also betrayed and experienced grief alongside him. Christ rests his arm around her shoulders, and she supports him as he stands.
This post is not in a child category of Gallery.