Stabat Mater (art)

In large hanging Crucifixions, Mary and John may be shown at a smaller scale beside Christ's torso.

In these depictions, the Virgin Mary and John the apostle are standing under the cross during the crucifixion of Christ, with only these three figures shown.

In the Stabat Mater depictions the Virgin Mary is represented as an actor and spectator in the scene, a mystical emblem of faith in the Crucified Savior, an ideal figure at once the mother of Christ and the personified Church.

The depictions generally reflect the first three lines of the "Stabat Mater" poem:[3] At the Cross her station keeping,stood the mournful Mother weeping,close to Jesus to the last.The concept is also present in other designs, e.g. the Miraculous Medal and the more general Marian Cross.

The Miraculous Medal, by Saint Catherine Labouré in the 19th century, includes a letter M, representing the Virgin Mary under the Cross.