Open full image Pin

Mater Dolorosa

Pietro Perugino

1490

oil

panel

From the collection of Uffizi Gallery

Northern Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Mater Dolorosa is a 1490 oil by Pietro Perugino, a Northern Renaissance work, held at Uffizi Gallery.

Who painted this?: Pietro Perugino
When & what style?: 1490 · Northern Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Uffizi Gallery

About this work

This painting portrays a woman in a white head covering, her hands clasped in prayer. She is dressed in black, with a white cloth draped over her head and shoulders. The subject's gaze is directed downward, her eyes cast downward. The background is dark, which contrasts with the subject's white head covering and the folds of her clothing. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume, drawing the viewer's eye to the subject's face and hands. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.