The Deposition

North transept, Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

In the synoptic gospels it is only Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council, who takes down the body. John adds Nicodemus, "a ruler of the Jews." This artist pictures four men, and one cannot tell whether any of them is Joseph or Nicodemus. They wrap the body in a linen cloth incongruously before it is off the cross. All the gospels say it was used after the deposition.

The figure in the lower left is the Virgin Mary, as one can see by her position and by the blue mantle. On the far right is St. John the Evangelist, pictured as a beardless youth. On his left is St. Mary Magdalene, identified by her long blond hair.

Read more about the Deposition.

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