The Dormition

17th century
Palazzo Bellomo, Syracuse, Sicily

Mary's "falling asleep" is pictured as an Orthodox funeral rite, with one apostle reading from a prayer book while another (probably Peter, judging from the short, square beard) swings a censer. The ten other apostles stand behind the bier with Jesus, who cradles Mary's soul in his left arm. In the gray half-mandorla behind him are two angels and, above, a seraph with six wings.

Above the cherub is an inscription that appears to read Κοιμεσις θηοτοκου, "Dormition of the God-Bearer."

The angel in the foreground is cutting off the hand of the Jew who grabbed at the bier (the man in green).

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Photographed at the Palazzo Bellomo by Claire Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.