7. The Virgin at the Foot of the Cross

The seventh film in the series focusing on one of Christianity’s central figures: The Virgin Mary.

It focuses on The Virgin at the foot of the Cross, discussing a sculptural group from Upper Saxony, Christ and the Virgin Mary, from a Triumphal Crucifixion Group (c.1220), and a sculpture ascribed to Pedro Roldán, Mater Dolorosa (c.1670/75), both in the Bode-Museum, Berlin.

Presented by VCS Director Professor Ben Quash and Deputy Director Dr Jennifer Sliwka.

Artworks: Upper Saxony, Christ and the Virgin Mary, from a Triumphal Crucifixion Group, c.1220, Oak, traces of original polychromy, Bode-Museum, Berlin, inv. nos. 7089, 7090; Ascribed to Pedro Roldán, Mater Dolorosa, c.1670/75, Popular wood, with original polychromy, Bode-Museum, Berlin, inv. no. 353.

Part of the Series Unlocking Christian Art. Produced in partnership with the National Museums in Berlin, these short films tell the story of the Virgin Mary with the help of the treasures of the Bode-Museum and the Gemäldegalerie, both sculpture and painting. These films are designed to equip users to understand, read, and enjoy some of Europe’s greatest works of Christian art, as well as the texts that inspired them, and to encourage fresh interpretation and insight in today’s audiences.