The Deposition

From the Getty Museum record

In this scene drawn in red chalk and lit from upper left, Joseph of Arimathaea stands at center against a featureless shallow background, holding up the lifeless body of Christ. At the left of the composition stands Nicodemus with his container of myrrh and aloes to preserve the body; on the other side John the Evangelist supports Christ’s left arm. The Virgin Mary kneels at lower left, tenderly holding Christ’s right hand, while Mary Magdalene kneels opposite her, supporting Christ’s feet. At the right margin a mourning figure turns away. Above the scene hovers the indistinct figure of a putto holding a linen cloth or a banderole. Although this carefully constructed and highly finished compositional study has not yet been linked to any known painting, it reflects altarpieces produced in the Florentine workshop of Andrea del Sarto in the 1520s, when the studio was at its most productive. The clarity of the composition—with figures distinctively defined—belies an unusual iconography with the Virgin Mary seemingly given a tangential role. Many of the poses are resonant of those used by Andrea del Sarto, and the criss-crossing network of glances and gazes reflects the tender pathos often found in his scenes. The handling of the chalk is precise yet subtle, and conveys remarkable detail.