1884.117.60

Collection type

Object

Description

Framed oil painting in black frame of the Virgin Mary [SM 19/03/2008]

Long description

Framed oil painting in black frame of the Virgin Mary. The picture has a dark wood frame and has the canvas has been repaired on the left side. The picture shows the head of the Virgin Mary with an inscription that reads: IMAGO BEATÆ MARIÆ VIRGINIS AD IMITATIONEM EIVS QVAM DEPINXIT BEATVS LVCAS QUÆ HABETVR IN TEMPLO SANCTÆ MARIÆ MAIORIS. MPA AΓ [SM 19/03/2008]

Geographical reference

Russia

Europe > Eastern Europe > Russia

Unknown

Cultural groups

European Russian

Person

Maker Unknown Maker

Field collector Unknown Collector

PRM source Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers founding collection

Date / Period

Date made: Possibly before 1879

Date collected

?Prior to 1879

Acquisition information

Donated: 1884

Materials and processes

Material Oil Paint, Material Pigment, Material Canvas Textile, Material Wood Plant, Process Painted, Process Framed, Process Repaired (local)

Dimensions

Width: max 605 mm, Length: max 715 mm frame

Object numbers

Accession number: 1884.117.60 PR no.: 1/ 9766

Research and responses

Caption prepared for The Public Catalogue Foundation: 'This painting, depicting the Virgin Mary, came to the Museum as part of the founding collection given to the University of Oxford by General Pitt-Rivers in 1884. One of the old catalogues describes it as a Russian icon, but the inscription identifies it as a copy a painting in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, which is supposed to be a portrait painted by the Evangelist Luke, which was the first mentioned in a History of the Church written in the sixth century. However, there are many portraits of Mary supposedly painted by Luke. The painting as Santa Maria Maggiore is a half-length portrait of Mary with the child Jesus on her lap and bears little resemblance to this supposed copy.' [FB 16/11/2012]

This painting is the twin of 1884.117.59. The head is surrounded with written text around the edge of the painting next to the frame in Latin [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

Associated publications

Illustrated in colour on page 272 of The Colleges (R–W), The University, The Rhodes Trust, Vol. 2 of Oil Paintings in Public Ownership in Oxford University (London: The Public Catalogue Foundation, 2015). NB The image appears with a minimal caption, with further details appearing on page 298. For the online version, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/galleries/locations/the-pitt-rivers-museum-university-of-oxford-7496 [JC 18 11 2015]

Search terms: Picture and Graphic Art, Religion, Painting, Religious Object