16th Century Spanish Antique Carved Wood Sculpture of “Our Lady of Sorrows”

A large 16thC antique carved wood sculpture of Our Lady Of Sorrows.

With original polychrome.

Our Lady of Sorrows is also known as Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours. 

The are names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referred to in relation to sorrows in life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular religious theme and a Catholic devotion. In Christian imagery, the Virgin Mary is portrayed sorrowful and in tears, with one or seven swords piercing her heart, iconography based on the prophecy of Simeon in Luke 2:34–35. Pious practices in reference to this title include the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, the Seven Principal Dolors of the Blessed Virgin, the Novena in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and the Via Matris.

The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of Mary that are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art.

These Seven Sorrows should not be confused with the five Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

Traditionally, the Seven Sorrows are:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon in Luke 2;
2. The Flight into Egypt in Matthew 2;
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, also in Luke 2;
4. Mary meeting Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, the Fourth station of the Cross which is not found in the Bible;
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus on Mount Calvary in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and especially John 19;
6. Jesus’s Descent from the Cross in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19;
7. The Burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea also in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19;

The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is liturgically celebrated every 15 September, while a feast, the Friday of Sorrows is observed in some Catholic cocountries.

Provenance – Acquired from a collection in Madrid, Spain.

Condition – Please refer to the images. A further detailed condition report is available upon request. 

Size – Height 76 cm (30″)