Mater Dolorosa (The Virgin Mary Mourning)

Mater Dolorosa (The Virgin Mary Mourning) — Georges Daniel de Monfreid. 1897.

Medium: painted plaster and wood. Dimensions: Framed: 73.7 x 59.1 x 17.8 cm (29 x 23 1/4 x 7 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

This fragment was once part of a larger sculpture carved in low relief, where sculpted elements are raised from a flat background. The full sculpture depicted Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary flanking Christ on the cross. This section is the only surviving portion of Georges-Daniel de Monfreid’s original composition. This work combines painting and sculpture and was described in De Monfreid’s lifetime as “a sculpture by a painter.” De Monfreid was a close friend of Paul Gauguin whose painting The Call (1943.392) also addressed the theme of spirituality in his work.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.