The panel depicting the grieving Virgin Mary along with another showing Saint John, also owned by the museum, were originally part of a larger Crucifixion scene representing figures mourning the death of Christ at the foot of the cross. The delicate modeling of the face and hands was achieved by applying vitreous paint to colorless glass and then stabbing it with a broad brush to create points of light. The paint was then contoured with a pointed brush, creating expressive, almost calligraphic linework, as seen in the Virgin’s clasped hands and pensive look.