This painting depicts a familiar scene in Christian art of this period: the lamentation of a group of mourners over Jesus’s body after his crucifixion. The grieving figures typically include Jesus’s mother Mary, shown here at center, Mary Magdalene, often at Jesus’s feet, and Joseph of Arimathea, who was responsible for his burial. While pausing to highlight a specific moment in time, this painting also constructs the narrative of the Passion through visual prompts for the viewer. The cross and ladder in the background serve as a reminder of Jesus’s crucifixion and descent from the cross, while the figures at top right preparing his tomb signal his future burial and resurrection.

The stylized poses and faces of the figures, the generic landscape and town in the background, and the level of realistic finish and detail are typical of Southern Netherlandish art in the 15th century. This work has been attributed to a follower of Hans Memling, a German artist who settled in Bruges and developed a distinctive approach to religious and mystical images, combining the technical precision of Jan van Eyck and the dramatic intensity of Rogier van der Weyden, who is believed to have been Memling’s teacher. Memling made several paintings of similar scenes depicting the descent from the cross and the lamentation. However, works completed in his own hand feature individualized expressions and naturalistic depiction of skin and fabric, unlike the awkward poses and stiff folds of fabric here.