An unusual statue

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21 - 25 July saw me attending the annual retreat of the Confraternity of Penitents.:highprayer:

penitents.org/

Much went on in those five days, but I want to mention our visit to the Monastery Of Our Lady Of Roses, in Buffalo, New York. This group of cloistered Nuns had their own Priest, who just happened to be the Priest for our Retreat.

The previous Priest to this monastery of Nuns had an imterest in statues of Our Lady. His many many friends, knowing of this interest, gave him several hundred statues over a period of 40 years :bigyikes:

Of the many statues on display, one drew me from across the room. A statue of Our Lady Of Sorrows. The thing about this statue was its reality. How old was Mary when Christ died? Most statues and paintings show her as a woman in her early 20s, or perhaps still as a teenager. :rolleyes:

This statue showed her as a woman in her 50s. She was stout. She was matronly. And the sorrow on her face was the most realistic I have ever seen. :yup:

There was no information on where the statue came from, what year it was made, or anything else that might help me to obtain a copy, 😦

But this statue made the sorrows of Mary so real to me.:sad_yes:
 
BVM_1221 said:
How old was Mary when Christ died? Most statues and paintings show her as a woman in her early 20s, or perhaps still as a teenager. :rolleyes:

This statue showed her as a woman in her 50s. She was stout. She was matronly. And the sorrow on her face was the most realistic I have ever seen.
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What an interesting question, and one that does challenge our assumptions and perspective. Of course, figuring out her age is all speculative, since we don’t have birth records, or death records. According to the Catholic Encylopedia (I’ve lost the exact link) Mary may have been 14 when she gave birth. And I’ve often seen estimates that Christ was 33 when he was killed. So if my math is right, that would make Mary around 47 when our Savior was crucified.

The statue sounds very right, to me. It would be invaluable at bringing home the reality of what happened, and how it relates to our own lives, which may include the untimely death of adult children…I have been told is a horrible burden for a parent, not only for their loss, but because of the added sense that the natural order has been violated. Parents expect to die before their adult children, and this adds to their grief.
 
BVM_1221 said:
21 - 25 July saw me attending the annual retreat of the Confraternity of Penitents.:highprayer:

penitents.org/

Much went on in those five days, but I want to mention our visit to the Monastery Of Our Lady Of Roses, in Buffalo, New York. This group of cloistered Nuns had their own Priest, who just happened to be the Priest for our Retreat.

The previous Priest to this monastery of Nuns had an imterest in statues of Our Lady. His many many friends, knowing of this interest, gave him several hundred statues over a period of 40 years :bigyikes:

Of the many statues on display, one drew me from across the room. A statue of Our Lady Of Sorrows. The thing about this statue was its reality. How old was Mary when Christ died? Most statues and paintings show her as a woman in her early 20s, or perhaps still as a teenager. :rolleyes:

This statue showed her as a woman in her 50s. She was stout. She was matronly. And the sorrow on her face was the most realistic I have ever seen. :yup:

There was no information on where the statue came from, what year it was made, or anything else that might help me to obtain a copy, 😦

But this statue made the sorrows of Mary so real to me.:sad_yes:
Click to expand...
I agree with Dale. The statue jolts us with the reality and challenges by being a far cry from the rather youthful, pretty Mary of Michelangelo and other artists. And that, I think, is a good thing.
And supposing that Mary was in her teens when she gave birth to our Lord (say, around 13-15 years of age) and supposing that Jesus was over 30 years or above when He died, Mary would have been in her late 40’s-early 50’s. And if I heard right, people back in those days tended to look older than they actually were: so I’d say that the statue is quite right.
 
Well, it’s true that Our Lady would’ve been at youngest in her mid to late 40s when Our Lord died. Doesn’t mean she was stout or matronly-looking. My own mother has had five children and a not-easy life, and still looked very young and fairly svelte going into her 40s. I, on the other hand, am in my mid-30s and have had no children and am constantly battling the bulge.

If I had pictures scanned onto computer of her at that age I’d be tempted to post 'em.

I agree with the premise though - there’s a lot of sanitisation and prettifying goes into images or Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints. I’m sure with the best of motives, for example to depict their spiritual beauty, but it happens nonetheless.

At least in Western art. I prefer the Eastern icon tradition, where Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints radiate a spiritual power and strength that goes well beyond superficial attractiveness, although there’s plenty of that in them as well.

This tendency in Western religious art is probably why the distinctly UNpretty ‘Passion of the Christ’ movie went gangbusters.
 
Wow. I had neer thought of this but your right she would have been in her late 40’s early 50’s. I would love to see a picture of this statue. Were any taken are you able to post them if so. Thanks
 
LilyM said:
I agree with the premise though - there’s a lot of sanitisation and prettifying goes into images or Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints. I’m sure with the best of motives, for example to depict their spiritual beauty, but it happens nonetheless.

At least in Western art. I prefer the Eastern icon tradition, where Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints radiate a spiritual power and strength that goes well beyond superficial attractiveness, although there’s plenty of that in them as well.

This tendency in Western religious art is probably why the distinctly UNpretty ‘Passion of the Christ’ movie went gangbusters.
Click to expand...
That’s the one thing I often complain about: where in about 95~98% of Western religious art, it seems that Our Lord, Our Lady and His disciples are all handsome men and women who have flawless skin, freshly-manicured and pedicured nails, and unsoiled, high-quality clothes fresh from the laundry. Wow, I didn’t know that becoming holy means that your clothes would never get soiled ever again. Or that you would never become overweight or too skinny. 😃 😉

I think a couple of the worst offenders in the ‘pretty-boy Jesus’ category of Western images would be this pic and this. 😛
 
BVM 1221: Thank you so very much for this!! The link provided is really interesting a must see.

This is giving me goosebumps because I know this statue–I have seen it or one just like it.

My Mom use to take us to Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Chicago when I was little (many moons ago) and I believe this is probably where I have seen it. Or maybe Our Lady of Sorroes Cemetary?? I was very young so it could have been a painting but I have seen it.

Our Lady of Sorrows Church was hugh and incredibly beautiful. It is actually a Bascilica If you plug in Our Lady of Sorrows Cath. Church in Chicago there is also an Easter traditional Mass being narrated by Fulton Sheen. If you have time please take a look because it is something to see although grainey.

I have a friend that goes to Europe twice/year and brings back some of the most beautiful Icons I have ever seen. I think she has a small painting of this statue too.

Thanks so much for this thread it has brought back wonderful memories. I hope I am correct about seeing this at the Basilicia. Thanks again.
 
BVM_1221 said:
Much went on in those five days, but I want to mention our visit to the Monastery Of Our Lady Of Roses, in Buffalo, New York. This group of cloistered Nuns had their own Priest, who just happened to be the Priest for our Retreat.
Click to expand...
Could it have been the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary (rather than Roses)? On Doat Street?

http://4thepriests.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sorrows1.jpg?w=300&h=199
Our Lady of Sorrows (“Mater dolorosa”) Pedro Roldán (1624-1699, Sevilla) around 1670/75

4thepriests.wordpress.com/2009/09/
 
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