Guido Mazzoni

(Modena 1450 – 1518)

Sorrowful, 1480-85

Painted terracotta

Museo Schifanoia, inv. OA1634

Documented from the early 18th century in the Ferrara church of San Giovanni Battista and attributed to Guido Mazzoni only in 1972, the Dolente is traditionally believed to be the fragment of a larger sculptural group now unfortunately lost. The removal of later repainting in 2000 brought to light an extraordinary polychromy that, starting with the green within the mantle, moving from the red of the robe that gives relief to the cold white of the wimple, and arriving at the pink of the complexion on which the realistic tears stand out, confirms the prestigious attribution. The tilted head, nervously intertwined fingers of the hands, and tight drapery juxtapose the Painful to the posture of the Marys, suggesting, however, a monolithic form, far from the conspicuous gesture of despair of the Madonna who usually in mourners bows with open arms toward the body of her son. Instead, the upturned gaze on the upper left might recall a crucifixion or, even better, the figure of one of the three Marys of the ancient compianti of Busseto and Modena datable, like this work, between 1480 and 1485.