Pietà (The Sorrowing Virgin with the Dead Christ in Her Lap)

Hendrik Goltzius

National Gallery of Art

The image shows two figures in the foreground. The first figure is a man lying down, looking lifeless. The man has long hair and a beard, and is partially covered with a cloth. The second figure is a woman seated to the man's left. She is dressed in layered clothing and has a cloth covering her head. The woman's eyes are closed, and she is touching the man's torso. Both figures are surrounded by a radiant aura. In the background, there are hills, distant figures, a cross, and a city silhouette. Beside the figures, there is a crown of thorns on the ground.