Fra Angelico
The Entombment of Christ

1440s
Fresco
Convent of San Marco, Florence, Italy

As in many Entombment images, St. John and the Virgin Mary are assisted by some of Christ's women disciples. The blonde hair of the woman at his feet may identify her as St. Mary Magdalene. The standing man is St. Benedict, identified by his Dominican habit, the star above his forehead, and the stalk of lilies.

The fresco is in one of the friars' small individual cells and serves as an aid to contemplation. The "cutaway" presentation of the cave makes it seem like an extension of the cell's wall.

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Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.