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Pieta with Saint John
Stamped by: Johann Baptist Hagenauer (Austrian, 1732–1810)
Austrian
18th century
dated 1759
Object Place: Europe, Salzburg or Vienna, Austria
Medium/Technique
Metal; Lead
Dimensions
19.05 x 15.88 cm (7 1/2 x 6 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Helen and Alice Coburn Fund
Accession Number50.2440
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsSculpture
DescriptionLead, on shaped molded base. Virgin seated on tree trunk, flower at foot and floral design pricked in robe. Fingers on St. John's raised right hand broken, Hole in base behind group.
Marks
Stamped: Johann Baptist Hagenauer
ProvenanceFrederick Mont Inc., New York [see note 1]; 1950, sold by Mont to the MFA for $400. (Accession date: June 8, 1950)
NOTES:
[1] A March 18, 1955 letter by Georg Swarzenski to Dr. Erich Strohmer discussed the sculpture which Strohmer attributed to Johann Georg Dorfmeister at the time. Swarzenski writes, "The piece was amongst the minor pieces owned by Mr. Mont...previously called Mr. Mondschein, a known and rather successful dealer. I inquired whether he might know, and could tell me, anything about the provenance of the object, but I received no answer. He had the piece for some years in his 'private collection' and one day, after I asked, he said he would let us have it if I wanted it. I accepted with pleasure, but he was unable to tell me anything about the previous owner and where he got it."
NOTES:
[1] A March 18, 1955 letter by Georg Swarzenski to Dr. Erich Strohmer discussed the sculpture which Strohmer attributed to Johann Georg Dorfmeister at the time. Swarzenski writes, "The piece was amongst the minor pieces owned by Mr. Mont...previously called Mr. Mondschein, a known and rather successful dealer. I inquired whether he might know, and could tell me, anything about the provenance of the object, but I received no answer. He had the piece for some years in his 'private collection' and one day, after I asked, he said he would let us have it if I wanted it. I accepted with pleasure, but he was unable to tell me anything about the previous owner and where he got it."