Detail of a Pieta in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Pieta
Lindenwood, polychromy, and gilding
Germany, Swabia, Jagst-Neckar region, 1435-1440
From the Cistercian convent at Himmelspforten, Bavaria (Unterfranken), near Wurzburg

Accession # 64.80

Devotional images that emphasize the physical sufferings of Christ developed early in the 14th century. This example, which derives from a Bohemian type known as a Vesperbild, or Virgin of Sorrows, belongs to this tradition. Early examples represent the Virgin in a state of great emotion, but by the 15th century her demeanor is more calm and contemplative. The lyrical naturalism of the figure heralds the beginnings of the German Late Gothic style.

Text from the Cloisters label.