Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d'Alemagna
Polyptych of the Body of Christ: Detail, The Man of Sorrows

1443
Chapel of San Tarasio
Church of San Zaccaria, Venice, Italy

When figures are added to images of the Man of Sorrows they usually flank him. Here instead a group of mourners looks down on him in anguish. The group is modeled on those pictured around Mary in Crucifixion images – St. John at her proper left side, one of the women consoling her on her proper right, two grieving men behind.

All the figures' faces are cast down, as is Christ's. This makes a dramatic contrast with the Resurrection panel above, where the men and women look up and Christ himself looks straight at the viewer.

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