The Virgin as Mater Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows)

This poignant bust of the Virgin, lamenting the death of her son, Jesus, was probably made by Pietro Torrigiani, an Italian living in Bruges, where he was in the service of Archduchess Margaret of Austria. For Margaret, herself a grieving widow, the theme of Mary’s mourning had
great resonance. The figure’s lifelike appearance made it easier to identify with the Virgin’s sorrow.