The Descent from the Cross

Last quarter of the 12th century
Mosaic
Monreale Cathedral, Sicily

This is an early example of an iconographic type seen often in the 13th and 14th centuries, less so in the 15th. The man on the right uses tongs to remove the nails from Jesus' feet while another man gently lifts his upper body down to the Virgin Mary, who kisses his arm. The inscription on the crossbar, IESUS NAZARENUS REX IUDEORUM means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

Read more about images of the Descent from the Cross.

• Home Page
• Iconography of the Deposition
• This Page

Source: Wikimedia Commons