The Deësis

First half of the 16th century (est.)
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria

Mary and John ask mercy of Christ and the angel brings him the pillar and cross as reminders of his Passion. Last Judgment iconography includes the angels blowing horns and the rising of souls from their graves.

The figures at the extreme lower right and left appear to be donors or perhaps simply contemporaries. On their knees with their hands pressed together, they join Mary and John's prayer. Their hats are typical of the first half of the 16th century, whence my estimate of the date of the sculpture.

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Photographed at the cathedral by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.