Madonna Addolorata 

Antonio Ciseri painted ‘Madonna Addolorata’ in the 19th century, rendering Mary, the mother of Jesus, in oil. Ciseri was a Swiss-Italian painter, who devoted much of his career to religious themes. Here, Mary’s face is upturned, her eyes brimming. She is the picture of sorrow. The painting exists within a long history of depicting Mary as the Mater Dolorosa, the sorrowful mother. But, there are always contextual shifts. Ciseri painted during a time of great social change, including the rise of nationalism and shifts in religious authority. How might Ciseri’s Mary have reflected the experiences of women in the 19th century? Their roles as mothers, their positions in the family, and the limited possibilities available to them in society. Ciseri’s painting invites us to consider the intersections of faith, motherhood, and societal expectations.