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The triptych was a portable form of private worship: the wings folded inward, and it could be set up anywhere. This particular triptych shows, from Left to Right: The Annunciation, Mary enthroned with the Christ Child, the Stabat Mater, St Franci receiving the Stigmata, then Mary enthroned again with the adult Christ. The skull at Jesus' feet in the middle panel was a popular inclusion referring to Golgatha, the Place of Skulls, where he was crucified. -
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"Stabat Mater dolorosa
juxta Crucem lacrimosa
dum pendebat Filius..." The Stabat Mater is a poem written in the 13th century which describes Mary standing at the foot of cross where her son was crucified. It is part of the "Mariology of the Catholic Church." The opening stanza reads, "At the Cross her station keeping/Stood the mournful mother weeping/close to her son to the last..." -
Many musicians have set the "Stabat Mater" poem to music. Two of the most well-known are the Pergolesi version in 1736, and the Karl Jenkins in 2008. The music version of the poem is always performed around Easter near Good Friday. -
Mary is traditionally depicted in a blue robe, but here all figures are in stone-coloured habits, suggesting the white habits of the Carthusian Monks with whom Rogier had a long connection and patronage. Mary is turned inward, and St John is turned outward here. -
In the Stabat Mater, Mary is always shown on Jesus' right side with St John the Apostle standing to the left. -
Altdorfer also breaks with tradition here and sets the Crucifixion on the banks of a river. The figures are not static--you can see the breeze plucking at the material. St John is turned away, but Mary is looking beseechingly at the viewer. She is also not wearing her traditional blue cloak. Altdorfer was one of the first artists of his time to set Biblical subjects against natural backgrounds full of color. -
Mary is once again in blue, but note the shape of the cross in this picture and the position of Christ's hands. -
In this version, Mary and Magdalene (most likely Jesus' wife and mother of his children), and St John are shown at the foot of the cross; they are painted in fresco behind a 3D crucifix. This work currently sits in the Oratorio della Nunziatella; Foligno, Italy. -
Dolci was not a prolific painter because he agonized over every detail. During Passion Week, he always painted a half-figure of Christ with a crown of thorns. He was known for his extreme piety, so his choice of the Stabat Mater is not surprising. -
Pergolesi only lived until his 20s, dying before his time of tuberculosis. This version of the Stabat Mater is one of the most popular because of its exquisite beauty and approachability. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufy4AGOFVAI -
The use of the nimbus (halo) on all three figures is very unusual here, as the practice had been mostly abandoned by the 19th century. It's worth noting that all three have the same nimbus--Christ usually has the biggest one in any picture. -
This depiction focuses solely on the anguish of the Mother Mary. The Stabat Mater is a hymn that is sung every year on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, usually around 15 September. -
The Stabat Mater is one of three commonly used representations of Mary, the other two being the Pieta, where Mary is holding the body of her deceased son once he was taken off the cross, and The Swoon of The Virgin, depicting Mary fainting when her son is crucified. -
This would qualify as a Crucifixion painting but for Mary on the right identifiable in her blue robe. Instead of her head being turned to the traditional left side, she is staring straight her her son. You can see her recoiling in horror here. St John is on the left side, here in red. -
Toward the end of his life, James Tissot painted a series on the life of Christ, and his paintings have a unique perspective. This one is done as an observer behind the cross at eye-level, making it a very human interaction. -
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Karl Jenkins is a modern composer living in London at the moment, so when my choral group performed this this piece, we were able to contact him personally. Jenkins uses a lot of Eastern influence in this piece, rightfully so considering the subject. "Incantation" is especially haunting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYhySafAt6A&list=PLhiqTw8bsqAbC3hX6jNQ-5qm8rZ6yHz-h -
Like most later paintings on this topic, the focus is strictly on Mary, and here she has turned into a river of tears. Instead of a blue cloak, she is dressed in fiery orange, and her face is hidden in her tears. This same artist did another painting called "Stabat Mater Dolorosa Blue". -
Breaking with tradition, Mary is not in blue here. The background also seems to be in the desert, possibly representing the isolation she feels watching her son die. This is a very intimate picture; the viewer almost feels like they're trespassing. -
A digital art entry from an American artist. This piece focuses solely on Mary's face; without the title and the blue of her cloak, we wouldn't know who this was. Her sorrow and heartbreak is obvious in her face. -
This is a more modern take on the subject. The blue of Mary's cloak is reflected in the blue of her eyes as she looks straight up, presumably at the Cross, but all we see are the bottoms of Christ's feet -
This unusual work combines oil paint and polymer clay to give it a textured appearance.