Dumas’s works frequently address the themes of life and death, religion and eroticism. She finds inspiration in a huge collection of images and texts. By sorting these and moving them around, she searches for meaningful combinations. The title adds meaning to the images as well, by referencing grander narratives. Thus, the female in this drawing is not just a nude woman but the Holy Virgin Mary. As a result, her nakedness transforms into an elegant nudity, similar to how gods and goddesses are depicted.
Title
Mary is the stairway by which God came down to Earth
Artist
Marlene Dumas (Kaapstad 1953)
Dating
1985 - 1986
Material and technique
Object number
35322
Object type
Acquisition
bruikleen Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed 2020 (Bruikleen Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed. Verworven door het Rijk via de kwijtscheldingsregeling (Collectie Sanders))
Dimensions
hoogte 38.5 cm
breedte 29 cm
hoogte (met lijst) 47.5 cm
breedte (met lijst) 37.5 cm
diepte (met lijst) 1.5 cm
Inscriptions and markings
- Signatuur + 1985/6
Documentation
- Collector's Item, R, u, t, t, e, n, , , B, a, r, t (Utrecht, 2020), p. 100
Exhibitions
Persistent url
To refer to this object please use the following persistent URL: https://hdl.handle.net/21.12130/collect.806DB32A-7149-4618-9E3E-2D30F8E40C1D
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