Zeven Smarten van Maria 1516 - 1545

Editor: Here we have "The Seven Sorrows of Mary" by the Monogrammist S, created sometime between 1516 and 1545. It’s tempera on what looks like a page from a book. It's so intricate and contained, but the emotions portrayed seem so big! What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: This small panel is bursting with symbolic power. It’s almost like a meditation on grief, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Definitely! The circular vignettes showing the key sorrows surrounding the central image of Mary holding Jesus really bring that point home. Curator: Exactly. These sorrows weren’t just about individual moments of pain, but a chain of events with deep spiritual weight. Each sorrow represents a specific event—the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of Jesus in the temple, meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the removal of Jesus from the cross, and the burial of Christ. Notice how each little scene contains gestures and objects—a sword, nails, a donkey, cloths to dry tears. All powerful memory cues. Editor: So they would instantly conjure those stories and their deeper meanings for the viewer? Curator: Precisely! These weren’t just pictures; they were prompts. They reminded viewers not only of Mary’s suffering, but also the potential for redemption through faith. They act as tangible anchors for communal memory. What else stands out to you? Editor: Well, the arrangement feels almost like a wheel, spinning us through these pivotal moments of Mary’s grief. Curator: And think of the emotional labour involved in producing such miniatures. Each element so finely rendered, intended to elicit not just observation, but deep empathy. How does it change your initial view now? Editor: I’m definitely seeing how dense and multifaceted this piece is – a single image designed to unfold into layers of symbolic and narrative meaning! Curator: Indeed, and a beautiful example of how images operate within our collective memory.