3-015-722 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Lamentation, c1490. Joseph of Arimathea supports Christ’s body as John the Evangelist wipes away a tear and places a consoling hand on the Virgin’s shoulder. Mary Magdalene clasps her hands in prayer. In the background, three crosses refer to Christ’s recent Crucifixion, and a man preparing a tomb alludes to his future entombment. The painting may originally have formed part of a polyptych, an arrangement of four or more panels, telling the story of Christ’s life.