Mary in the Tomb with Christ

One question which must be raised is how did Niccolò create this scene? One source which the artist would have either have read himself or been knowledgeable in ideas would have been the Life of the Virgin by Maximus the Confessor. This manuscript in the Byzantine empire during the seventh century but was translated multiple times by monks, and was brought to Italy by Greek Monks. Mary being in the tomb with Jesus after his death is a very prominent idea in Life of the Virgin. Because Mary is so pure and interconnected with Jesus, “Nevertheless, the immaculate mother was inseparable from the tomb, and she was watching and listening to everything that was happening and being said.” [1] She has a special relationship with her son and is with him in spirit. Not even death can break the maternal bond Mary has with her son. This also intertwines with the idea of affective piety. When looking at the image, one sees Mary holding Jesus up because he is very weak after being crucified. As a mother, seeing her son in this state must have been heartbreaking. Mary looks very concerned and brings Jesus’ head closer to hers. This image is considered one of the very first pieta’s and can in itself be seen as a symbol of loss. Affective piety is very prevalent because Mary is holding he dying son. [2] This is a very emotional moment which a parent is witnessing the loss of a child. Overall there are many layers of depth which the relationship between Jesus and Mary can be analyzed.