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The Virgin, Saint John, Saint Mary Magdalene and a Holy Woman

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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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.

The National Gallery, London

London

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

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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