The Lamentation

This poignant Lamentation exhibits similarities to several paintings by Bernard van Orley, a central figure of the Netherlandish Renaissance active in Brussels and Antwerp in the first half of the 16th century. The careful positioning of the hands of both Christ and his mother, for example, parallel those in the central Pièta of van Orley’s Haneton triptych (Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels). The composition originated in the works of Gerard David and Rogier van der Weyden. Both artists incorporated into their depictions of the subject the motif of the Byzantine icon type known as the Threnos, in which the Virgin embraces her son cheek-to-cheek. Here, the pathos of the scene is heightened by the panel’s intimate scale, which reflects the shifting devotional practices and principles of the period that encouraged the development of a deep, personal connection with the sufferings of Christ.