Deposition

(Also known as the Descent from the Cross). In Christian iconography, a representation of Christ being taken down from the cross upon which he had been crucified. The gospels give no details about how Jesus was removed from the cross, only that Joseph of Arimathea gained permission to take the body down, and he was assisted by Nicodemus (John 19: 38-40). Other figures often depicted in the scene include the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalen, and John the Evangelist.

Rogier van der Weyden. The Deposition. Ca. 1435. Oil on oak panel. Museo del Prado, Madrid.