Who painted Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother?

Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1498.

Where can I see Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother?

Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother is held by Alte Pinakothek.

What movement is Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother?

Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother?

Museum-quality prints of Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother

Albrecht Dürer , 1498

Seven Sorrows Polyptych:Sorrowing mother is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1498 and is held in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek.

About this work

Overview

Albrecht Dürer’s *Seven Sorrows Polyptych: Sorrowing Mother* is an oil painting executed in 1498. It forms one panel of a larger polyptych now displayed in Munich’s Alte Pinakothek. The work belongs to the Northern Renaissance and presents the Virgin Mary in the devotional role of Our Lady of Sorrows, emphasizing her emotional response to Christ’s suffering.

Subject & Meaning

The figure is the Virgin Mary, dressed in blue with a white headscarf, her hands clasped over her heart and a spear held in her grasp. The spear alludes to the wounds of Christ, while her down‑cast gaze and sorrowful posture convey the traditional theme of maternal grief, inviting contemplation of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

Technique & Style

Rendered in oil on panel, Dürer employs a restrained palette of deep blues and muted earth tones against a dark backdrop. A subtle golden halo surrounds the Virgin’s head, creating a luminous focal point. The fine modeling of flesh and the delicate handling of light reflect the artist’s mastery of Northern Renaissance detail and his interest in naturalistic representation.

History & Provenance

Completed in 1498, the panel was originally part of a multi‑panel altarpiece commissioned for a German devotional setting. Over the centuries the polyptych was disassembled; the *Sorrowing Mother* panel entered the collection of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on public view as part of the museum’s German Renaissance holdings.

Context

Our Lady of Sorrows was a popular subject in late‑medieval and early‑modern piety, focusing on Mary’s participation in Christ’s passion. Dürer’s interpretation aligns with contemporary devotional practices, integrating theological symbolism—such as the spear representing the lance of Longinus—with the artist’s own humanist interest in expressing individualized emotion.