Mary of Clopas from the Mourning of the dead Christ

myminifactory

This statue is part of a set of seven characters in a scene called "The Mourning of the Dead Christ" created by Niccolò dell'Arca at the end of the fifteenth century and displayed in Bologna within the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Vita. The unknown masterpiece captures the spectator with both its realism and expressionism, especially the expressionist aspect of grief and despair. It appears that the intensity of grief builds crescendo from left to right: Mary of Clopas, situated on the right side of the group, has an intense expression of sorrow. Her arched body and her hands give the impression that she wants to push away the image of the dead Christ, while her mouth echoes a loud scream. The overall impression is further emphasized by her draped clothing and veil flying behind her, giving more intensity to each one of her gestures. Mary of Clopas is explicitly mentioned in the Bible as one of the women present at Jesus' crucifixion: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary [the wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." (John 19:25)