Signed Italian Madonna "Mother of Sorrows" Oil on Hardboard Panel. The painting depicts the Mater Dolorosa (Mother of Sorrows), a common subject in religious art of the Virgin Mary expressing her grief during the Passion of Christ, indicated by the darker clothing, the downward sad expression, and the dimmed background. Signed indistinctly bottom right. On the back it is signed again, clearly, with further information: "Rebuscini Umberto, Milano, via Imbriani #31, via PIAVE #13 MELZO." This indicates it was either painted or sold in the Northern city in Italy, and the artist was likely a student influenced by very similar works created by Florentine Baroque painter Carlo Dolci (1616-1686). 

Size: 13 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. 

Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, Our Lady of the Agony, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referred to in relation to sorrows in life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular religious theme and a Catholic devotion, and in common imagery the Virgin Mary is portrayed in tears, with one or seven swords piercing her heart, iconography based on the prophecy of Simeon in Luke 2:34-35. Pious practices in reference to this title include the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, the Seven Principal Dolors of the Blessed Virgin, the Novena in Honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, and the Via Matris. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is liturgically celebrated every September 15th, while a feast, the Friday of Sorrows, is observed in some Catholic countries.

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