Pietà with Saint John

German 15th Century

National Gallery of Art

This is a painting of three figures centered around a cross and a ladder, with a tree in the background. The painting depicts a scene with three figures in close proximity. One figure in a red robe is holding a vessel and seems to be engaged in an action or gesture towards the central figure, who is lying on a cloth with visible markings on the body. This central figure has a halo and wears a crown of thorns. Another figure, dressed in earth-toned robes, is kneeling with hands clasped in a gesture resembling prayer, also with a halo depicted around the head. The backdrop shows a large wooden cross, partially obscured by a tall ladder, with a tree situated to the side.