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Notes
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This panel was most probably the right-hand wing of a diptych (a painting made up of two panels), and was probably made in Cologne in the 1530s. The location of the left-hand panel is unknown, but it most probably showed the dead Christ. The figures huddle together and look in the direction of the left panel, weeping at the sight. Their grief is dramatic – their faces anguished, their tears like glass beads on their cheeks. The rippling folds of their brightly coloured clothing intensify the emotion. The woman at the front is the Virgin Mary, wearing her traditional blue mantle, which here has fur lining at the cuffs. The woman to her left is Mary Magdalene, identifiable by her long, loose hair. Like the holy woman wearing the cap behind her, Mary Magdalene is dressed in elaborate clothing more contemporary to the picture – her billowing sleeve is patterned with silk brocade.
Title
The Virgin, Saint John, Saint Mary Magdalene and a Holy Woman
Date
probably 1530-40
Medium
Oil on oak
Measurements
H 67.9 x W 48.3 cm
Accession number
NG3903
Acquisition method
Presented by Henry Wagner, 1924
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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Anne of Cleves St John's College, University of Oxford -
Triptych: Centre Panel: The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor The Schorr Collection -
Gerhard von Westerburg (1486–after 1539), Half-Length, in a Fur-Trimmed Mantle and Black Hat Compton Verney -
Triptych (centre panel: The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor; left shutter: Saint Jude and a Donor; right shutter: Saint Catherine and a Donor) The Schorr Collection -
Madonna and Child with Four Cherubs York Art Gallery -
A Man, probably of the Strauss Family The National Gallery, London -
The Virgin, Saint John, Saint Mary Magdalene and a Holy Woman The National Gallery, London - 3 more