Skip to Main Content

Figure of the Pietà

c. 1761
(Flemish, 1715–1766)
(Britain, London, 1745–84)
England, London, Chelsea
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels
height: 38.5 cm (15 3/16 in.)
Museum purchase from various donors by exchange 2019.75
Location: 203A British Painting and Decorative Arts
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

Only three examples of this figure by the Chelsea Porcelain Factory are known to exist.

Description

The distinctively Roman Catholic subject of Mary cradling her son, the crucified Christ, suggests this figure was probably made for one of the aristocratic English families forced to practice their Catholicism in secret during the mid-1700s. Because of the laws banning Catholic worship in England, grand houses were often modified to include private chapels or rooms in private quarters where visiting priests delivered the sacraments in defiance of the laws favoring Protestant worship. A figure of this size and type likely would have served as an important devotional focal point within that context.
Figure of the Pietà

Figure of the Pietà

c. 1761

Joseph Willems, Chelsea Porcelain Factory

(Flemish, 1715–1766), (Britain, London, 1745–84)
England, London, Chelsea

See Also

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.