The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 26, 2023

Mourning Saint John and Mourning Virgin (pair)

c. 1250–1275

Part of a set. See all set records

Spain, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, 13th century

Polychromed oak

Overall: 154.9 x 36.9 x 20.4 cm (61 x 14 1/2 x 8 1/16 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss 1930.621

Location

106B Romanesque & Gothic Sculpture

Description

These figures of the Virgin and Saint John once formed part of a Crucifixion group that would have originally included a figure of Christ on the cross shown at center. Fortunately the original polychromy of the two figures has been preserved, affording the viewer a rare opportunity to appreciate a rich medieval decorative color pattern suggestive of some early textiles. Though they date to the 13th century, the two figures reflect a late 12th-century style.

Provenance
(Arthur Byne, Madrid, Spain); purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss for the Museum.
Citations
Whitehill, Walter Muir. 0AD. “[Rezension Von:] Cook, Walter William Spencer ; Gudiol, José: Pintura Y Imagineria Románicas. - Madrid : Editorial Plus-Ultra, 1950.” p. 370
The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 123-124 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 51 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 51 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 57 archive.org
Martin Nagy, Rebecca. Textiles in Daily Life in the Middle Ages. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1985. p. 52, 60
Exhibition history

Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 24-November 16, 1975).

Textiles in Daily Life in the Middle Ages. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 22-March 17, 1985).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1930.621