This carefully carved scene is charged with emotion conveyed by the dramatic attitudes of the figures and the complex folds of the voluminous drapery. The finely detailed surface reveals tears on the faces of Nicodemus and the Virgin. The composition is greatly indebted to the great painter Rogier van der Weyden (1399–1464). While there is no evidence that Rogier or his shop actually carved wood sculpture, we know that he and other painters collaborated on sculptural projects, polychroming the carved pieces and possibly providing working drawings for sculptors.
Object Date
c. 1460
Dimensions
34½ x 55 x 9½ in.
87.6 x 139.7 x 24.1 cm
Pedestal: 47 (to deck) x 68 1/2 x 19 in. Total height: 91 in.
( 119.4 x 174 x 48.3 cm ; 231.1 cm)
