That's a statue of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. "Mary is bent, huddled, distraught at the disappearance of Jesus' body. Then she hears her name spoken, and turns, looking upward to Jesus standing behind her. This poignant image captures the moment of Mary's incomprehension, as she hears her name spoken by someone she knows is dead. After all, she has been present at the crucifixion of Jesus, seen his sagging body removed from the cross, and been the one who laid out his corpse in the tomb. But now, inexplicably, she recognizes his voice. This image is closer to pictures of Mary in modern films..."
I don't know who sculpted it. A friend posted the picture on Facebook, and I was struck by it. I think the artist did a nice job with the body and the expression - caught that moment of shock. It definitely looks post-1950 to me, but I'm not sure.
There seems to be a nearly identical statue in the Mission Santa Barbara church. But if you click on the link you will see that Mary's left hand is holding onto a vase in Santa Barbara. There's a close-up on her face at the Santa Barbara location, from another angle, here.
May all who drown in grief
find relief.
UPDATE: Sculptor is Bruce Wolfe, a contemporary, and the piece is designed to be seen with a figure of Jesus. Wolfe's Wikipedia page is here.
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