Grablegung Christi

In front of the opening of the cave and tomb, Joseph from Arimathaea is holding the lifeless but erect body of Christ. Mary and Joseph approach humbly from the side, taking hold and kissing the Saviour's hands. The panel was once the center of the predella of the high altar in San Marco, Florence. The association to the Eucharistic offering, which took place facing the altar painting, is a clear one. Three other predella panels show the legend of the martyred doctors SS Cosmas and Damian, patron saints of Florence and the Medici family, who sponsored the furnishing and appointment of the monastery. The center panel can be found in the Museo San Marco (Florence).