The Descent of the Holy Ghost

On the Christian feast of Pentecost, the Virgin Mary and the twelve Apostles gathered in Jerusalem and witnessed when the Holy Ghost descended into the room and gave everyone the power to speak in different tongues. Earlier depictions of the subject usually showed the Apostles with flames on their heads, an element that Machuca leaves out. This predella panel is thought to have been a part of a larger altarpiece that could have focused on the life of the Virgin, which would explain her central placement within the composition.