The Repentant Sinner
Relief
about 1810 (made)
about 1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In a rocky grotto, draped with a scarlet curtain is the kneeling figure of a woman as the repentant Magdalen in profile to the left. She wears a simple high-waited white robe boung with a gold cord and a full black cloack bordered with a gold fringe. Her hands clasped in ecstasy are held up against her forehead while before her is a circular black altar inscribed MEMENTO MORI, hung with a white cloth, and bearing a Crucifix, an open book inscribed FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, and a skull. The glass background is painted to represent clouds. In a plain moulded gold frame. Although formerly described as 'Lady Hamilton at Prayer', this is unlikely to be a portrait, and is more probably a representation of a repentant sinner, perhaps Mary Magdalene.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Repentant Sinner |
| Materials and techniques | Wax |
| Brief description | Wax, German, by Johann Christof Rauschner |
| Physical description | Relief in wax. In a rocky grotto, draped with a scarlet curtain is the kneeling figure of a female repentant in profile to the left. She wears a simple high-waisted white robe bound with a gold cord and full black cloak bordered with a gold fringe. Her hands clasped in ecstasy are held up against her forehead while before her is a circular black altar inscribed MEMENTO MORI, hung with a white cloth, and bearing the crucifix, an open book inscribed FORGIVE US OUR TRESSPASSES, and a skull. The glass background is painted to represent clouds. In plain moulded gold frame. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | 'Lady Hamilton at Prayer' (Label on the back.) |
| Object history | Purchased for £3.15.0 from Messrs. Trellis, (subsidiary of Sydney Burney?) St. Christopher's Place, W.1. |
| Production | Formerly described as 'Lady Hamilton at Prayer' |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | In a rocky grotto, draped with a scarlet curtain is the kneeling figure of a woman as the repentant Magdalen in profile to the left. She wears a simple high-waited white robe boung with a gold cord and a full black cloack bordered with a gold fringe. Her hands clasped in ecstasy are held up against her forehead while before her is a circular black altar inscribed MEMENTO MORI, hung with a white cloth, and bearing a Crucifix, an open book inscribed FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, and a skull. The glass background is painted to represent clouds. In a plain moulded gold frame. Although formerly described as 'Lady Hamilton at Prayer', this is unlikely to be a portrait, and is more probably a representation of a repentant sinner, perhaps Mary Magdalene. |
| Bibliographic reference | Yarrington, A. 'Under the Spell of Madame Tussaud: Aspects of 'high' and 'low' in 19th century polychromed sculpture' in The Colour of Sculpture 1840-1910. (exh. cat.) Amsterdam. Van Gogh Museum. 1996. p.83 and fig. 83. on p. 84. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.36-1935 |
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| Record created | March 12, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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