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Figures of a Laying in the Tomb. Mary Cleophas, Our Lady and St. John
Flemish School, Malines workshop
Early 16th century
Polychrome and gilded gessoed oak wood
Mary Cleophas: 69 cm (H) x 59 cm (W); Our Lady: 68 cm (H) x 40 cm (W);
St. John: 69 cm (H) x 59 cm (W)
MASF 47/47A
These sculptures, along with others, were found in 1951 under the main altar of the São Roque parochial church in Funchal. They must have belonged to the old São Roque church, which underwent remodelling work at the end of the 16th century, but they would have originated in the Cathedral of Funchal.
It is known that following the attack of Funchal by corsairs in 1566, many sculptures and altars in the Cathedral were damaged and some of the pieces removed from worship. It is possible that, after a few years, with the building of the parochial church of São Roque, the mother church of Funchal, the Cathedral, would have ceded some images, which, following a summary restoration, were installed in the new church.
These three figures of the set are lacking the lower third of the image, because they would be placed behind the representation of the Sepulchre, where the Dead Christ would be laid.
Also known to belong to this set is a full-figure sculpture of Mary Salome, which would have been placed to the left of the composition, probably to the right of the representation of Mary Magdalene, and even perhaps Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemos.
It would have belonged to a retable structure in the present-day Chapel of the Most Holy Sacrament in the Cathedral, previously called the Chapel of Calvary. The chapel in question would have had two groups of sculptures up to the 1530s. On the back wall was the Calvary, which is also in the Museum of Sacred Art today, while this set would have been on the altar.
The modelling of the figures, hands and faces is recognised to be exceptional, as well as the elegance of the clothing and hairdressing.
Its date must be later than the end of the second decade of the 16th century, judging by the nature of the dress of the figures and the evolution towards the values of the renaissance by the Malines workshops, following the appearance of the court of Margaret of Austria. |
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