The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 14, 2025

Mourning Virgin

c. 1250–1275

Spain, Kingdom of Castile and Leon, 13th century

polychromed oak
Overall: 151.2 x 33 x 21.6 cm (59 1/2 x 13 x 8 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss 1930.621.2
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.
  • (Arthur Byne, Madrid, Spain); purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Francis F. Prentiss for the Museum.
  • Whitehill, Walter Muir. n.d. "[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 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
  • Textiles in Daily Life in the Middle Ages. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 22-March 17, 1985).
    Art: The International Language. The Cleveland Museum of Art (October 2-November 4, 1956).
  • {{cite web|title=Mourning Virgin|url=false|author=|year=c. 1250–1275|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1930.621.2