Attributed to José de Mora

Attributed to JOSÉ DE MORA (Baza, 1642 – Granada, 1724)
“The Penitent Magdalene.”
Carved and polychrome wood.
Work exhibited in *From the Middle Ages to the Baroque: Spanish and European Sculpture*. Ansorena. Madrid.
Shows signs of restoration.
Measurements: 152 x 80 x 79 cm.
This sculpture depicts Mary Magdalene standing in meditation with her small cross. The formal characteristics and technique of the sculpture, analyzed below, allow it to be attributed to the Granada-born sculptor José de Mora, a follower of Alonso Cano who was active in Madrid and in his hometown during the final decades of the 17th century and the early 18th century. Mary Magdalene’s expression of deep contemplation, arising from her meditation on the cross, is similar to that seen in other penitent saints or in José de Mora’s depictions of ecstasy, which he imbues with an inner anguish—for example, the Saint Bruno of La Cartuja (figs. 6 and 7) and the Saint Pantaleon (fig. 8) in the parish church of Santa Ana, both in Granada. Furthermore, this depiction of the saint has a tormented expression characteristic of Mora’s style and comparable to those of the saints decorating the sacristy of Córdoba Cathedral, which date from around 1700. In addition to these features, Magdalene has a long, slender nose similar to those of the aforementioned Saint Bruno and Saint Pantaleon and comparable to some of the artist’s depictions of the Sorrowful Virgin, particularly the one in the parish church of the Virgin of Victory in Osuna. The way the figure’s lips are defined is also strikingly similar to that of the aforementioned Saint Bruno, particularly the narrow, heart-shaped upper lip.
The artistic legacy of this family of Mora sculptors, which spanned from the last third of the 17th century to the second half of the 18th, marked a milestone within the Granada school. Influenced by the work of both Alonso Cano and Pedro de Mena—an influence that led him to develop a highly personal and distinctive style—the prolific sculptor José de Mora immortalized the themes of the Ecce Homo and the Dolorosa on numerous occasions. Created during his creative prime, these works achieved great success both in terms of the number of pieces produced and the quality of the carving in this iconographic genre. According to Álvaro Pascual in his study of these works, during his time in Madrid, José de Mora created the pair of “Ecce homo” and “Dolorosa” for the Convent of Maravillas, similar to those he would later create for Granada. From that point on, Mora created various types of Dolorosa busts, which were typically short in form—omitting the hands—and were paired with the *Ecce homo*. The melancholic, languid, and deeply emotional air that Mora imbues in his gaunt faces, as well as the elongated heads and thin lips, arched eyebrows, and pronounced cheekbones, are features that became more pronounced and intense during the turbulent final years of his career following the death of his wife. With his exceptional technique, de Mora created a very distinctive aesthetic, style, and set of models—deeply expressive and realistic in character—that led him to become one of the leading figures in Andalusian art.