Hans MEMLING
Flemish c. 1433-1494
The Man of Sorrows in the arms of the Virgin
1475
oil and gold leaf on wood panel
27.4 x 19.9 cm
Felton Bequest 1924
1335-3

This moving devotional painting shows an image of Christ as the 'Gregorian Man of Sorrows', so-called because it refers to a vision that appeared to Pope Gregory while celebrating Mass. It shows Christ crucified, yet alive, in the arms of his mother, the Virgin Mary.
The pair is surrounded by symbols of the Passion and biblical figures related to the crucifixion, including Judas, St Peter and the maidservant, the two high priests Annas and Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod, and a soldier.
The intimate scale of the work, the predominantly gold background and iconic rather than narrative treatment implies that it was intended for private devotional purposes. The almost miniaturist style and the emotional expressiveness of the image show Memling's debt to both Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden.

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