NAVAS DE TOLOSA ALTARPIECE

ICONOGRAPHY 

The altarpiece revolves around the scenario of the Lamentation Over the Body of Christ comprising the Holy Virgin Mary at its centre holding the corpse of Christ in her lap. Mary's hands are clasped together in prayer. She is accompanied by five more people. Two figures - Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus - stand to the foreground on either side of the Holy Virgin. The figure on the right cradles the head of Christ between his hands with the help of a shroud while the figure on the left reaches towards the Holy Virgin Mary with his right hand, obviously with the intention of placing it on the Virgin's shoulder to comfort her. The Three Marys stand in the background. The one to our left is crying and raising one of her hands to her face. Both of the other two women are carrying jars of spices.  One of them whose head is uncovered touches Mary's back in an attempt to console her; accordingly, she is Mary Magdalene.

Other figures of the apostolic college are distributed in pairs along the lateral sections. The couples are represented as talking among themselves.