Pity

The painting depicts the lament of Christ's kin at the foot of the cross, a scene which doesn't appear directly in the Bible. On the left, Saint John the Evangelist, barefooted, draped in a red coat, is holding the Messiah's torso with his right hand which is resting on the Virgin's knees. He is consoling Mary with his left hand. The mother of God holds the inanimate head of her Son and presses her cheek against hers. At Christ's feet, Mary-Magdalene is kneeling in adoration. Near her was an ointment jar, an object she is usually featured with. The skull in the foreground helps to identify where the scene is taking place, Golgotha, which literally means "the place of the skull". This motif also evokes the legend of the cross. According to this writing, the dead head belongs to Adam. Christ's sacrifice was necessary to redeem the original sin, resulting from Adam's fall. The dried out trees on the left and right are also taken from Medieval recitals of the Passion. Some of these legends confirm that all the trees dried out at the moment when the Messiah gave up his soul. The emotional way in which "The Lamentation" is depicted is a testimony to the influence of the Modern Devotion movement. This genre scene sought to move the spectator. Deeper reflection on the mystery of the Passion would then lead them to imitate Christ or even to prepare to receive Communion. (Roel Slachmuylders in 'Musée d'Art Ancien. Oeuvres choisies' [Ancient Art Museum: Selected works])