Lamentation of Christ at the Tomb
Lamentation of Christ at the Tomb depicts the original story of martyrdom, and the piece relies on the viewer's knowledge of the story of Christ. Because of this, the image can be used as a point of departure in our examinations of the works to follow. How is a martyr traditionally portrayed? The disconnect of his emotional versus physical state is used to directly create a sense of martyrdom—a dignity, holiness, or reward born out of pain and suffering. In this image, Christ's expression (saddened, but calm, vulnerable) combined with the context of the story of his crucifixion (indicated by the title) imply that he has just gone through great pain and bodily injury. In the actual depiction, however, his body remains entirely intact, even idealized, giving no indication of physical pain. The body of Christ is pristine with defined muscles and no apparent wounds, despite the fact that at this point he is "dead" and being carried to his tomb. The defined musculature almost indicates death, as though his body is entering rigor mortis, even as his face is disconnected from this death—relaxed and serene in comparison as though from spiritual release. His body is compartmentalized in terms of realistic appearance vs. the desire of the artist to show Christ's dual connection with Heaven and Earth. This dichotomy between the emotional and physical state is key in the representation of martyrdom.