Bidspirit auction | Our Lady of Sorrows. 18th

Our Lady of Sorrows. 18th Century Mexican Colonial School - Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 78 x 60 cm. The Virgin appears half-length, framed by an architectural oval. Her clasped hands hold a heart pierced by seven swords, emblem of her seven sorrows. Her serene yet melancholic expression and gaze directed toward the viewer convey a restrained and pious emotion. The dark palette reinforces the introspection of the scene, while the deep blue mantle and white veil contrast with the tenebrist background. The centered and restrained composition emphasizes the iconic nature of the image. The workmanship reveals a restrained treatment of light and volume, highlighting the oval face and finely modeled hands. Although the inscription at the bottom is illegible, the work fully reflects the models disseminated by colonial Marian iconography in the second half of the 18th century. Its devotional intensity and formal simplicity make it a piece of profound emotional charge, linked to American Baroque spirituality.