Mourning Virgin from a Crucifixion Group 15th century

Benedetto da Maiano likely made this small-scale sculpture of the Mourning Virgin from a Crucifixion Group in the late 15th century, using terracotta. Terracotta, meaning "baked earth" in Italian, is a readily available and inexpensive material, a humble medium favored for its versatility. Notice how Maiano has skillfully manipulated the clay to capture the Virgin Mary’s sorrowful expression, the folds of her drapery, and the delicate gesture of her raised hand. The artist would have built the figure up, adding coils of clay, carefully modeling the details while the material was still wet. After it had dried, he would have fired it in a kiln. The choice of terracotta is significant; it allowed Maiano to produce devotional works accessible to a wider audience, rather than the elite patrons who could afford marble or bronze. It invites us to consider the economics of artistic production in Renaissance Italy, and the ways in which a single design could be translated into various materials, each carrying its own social and economic weight. This piece reminds us that the value of art lies not just in its aesthetic qualities, but also in its material presence and social context.