Jan Provoost
Netherlandish, c. 1465–1529
The Lamentation
c. 1490
Joseph of Arimathea supports Christ’s body as John the Evangelist wipes away a tear and places a consoling hand on the Virgin’s shoulder. Mary Magdalene clasps her hands in prayer. In the background, three crosses refer to Christ’s recent Crucifixion, and a man preparing a tomb alludes to his future entombment. The painting may originally have formed part of a polyptych, an arrangement of four or more panels, telling the story of Christ’s life. By including a Gothic church, Provoost set these scriptural events in the fifteenth century.
| Medium | Oil on panel |
| Dimensions | 16 5/8 x 12 15/16 in. (42.3 x 32.9 cm) |
| Object Number | 1955.949 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark, 1944 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Jan Provoost, The Lamentation, c. 1490, Oil on panel. The Clark Art Institute, 1955.949.
