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MEMLING, Hans: Mater Dolorosa

🖼 Mater Dolorosa, 1480s
Oil on wood
55 × 33 cm
Florence, Italy

Soft brushwork renders Mary's anguished face in three-quarter view, her pale complexion and downcast eyes conveying profound grief against a dark background. Memling's intimate devotional panel exemplifies Flemish emotional intensity and technical mastery, establishing the Mater Dolorosa as a cornerstone of Northern Renaissance spirituality.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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