North Italian, probably late 16th century

This intensely emotional group of the Virgin Mary, St John the Evangelist and the Mary Magdalene is the bottom section from the scene of the crucifixion. It was intended to be seen from the front as if it were an episode from a Passion Play; the back of the group is only summarily modelled.

Each of the figures weeps profuse tears as they are consumed by their individual sorrow. St John lifts his cloak to wipe away the tears from his right eye. The Virgin wrings her hands in mourning as she looks up to Christ on the cross. The Magdalene falls at the foot of the cross and wraps both her arms around the base of the cross as tears stream down the sides of her face.

The precise attribution for this accomplished group remains uncertain. The fluent modelling suggests a central or Northern Italian sculptor, perhaps most likely from the Bologna or Lombardy. Whilst the extreme passion of the protagonists recalls the famous Lamentation groups by Guido Mazzoni or Niccolò dell’Arca, the proportions of the figures and graphic depiction of tears are more reminiscent of Southern German sculpture.