Deposition Rogier Van Der Weyden Analysis

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The piece that I found most interesting from this week’s reading was “Deposition” by Rogier van der Weyden (c.1435-1438.) The first thing I noticed about the piece was Jesus’s lithe, youthful figure. Rather than having a full beard, as he often does in illustrations from the New Testament, Jesus only has a light dusting of stubble. With his thin, hairless body, Jesus almost looks pubescent. Perhaps van der Weyden was trying to elicit more of an emotional response by portraying Jesus as more childlike. Perhaps he is attempting to show Mary’s perspective, seeing Jesus as her baby. Perhaps it is a nod to his celibacy, which could be seen as a form of physical immaturity. Or perhaps it is simply the long-time association of youth with purity and…show more content…
Between the groupings of figures on the right side to the way John the Evangelist is bent over to the slope of the ladder, here are the triangular shapes associated with the Holy Trinity all over the piece. This was very obviously a purposeful choice. In addition, the colors clearly carry symbolism. It makes sense that the Virgin Mary is wearing royal blue, marking her as a queen-like figure. Her turban could even be interpreted as some sort of crown or maybe a halo. The color that Mary Magdalene is wearing draped around her waist is sort of a bruise-like pale lavender. This purple, which is paler than Mary’s royal blue, could mark Mary Magdalene as still being a noble figure, but less so than Mary. I also wondered if maybe the bruise-like color was meant to demonstrate Mary Magdalene’s history as a prostitute, where she was very likely abused and beaten. That her dress matches the tone of her skin could further emphasize her former profession. Her red sleeves and John the Evangelist’s red cloak match the small drops of blood on Jesus’s body. It could be that Van Der Weyden intended to say that both characters are going to carry on Jesus’s spiritual work after his death or that they are blessed by Jesus’s blood. I also find it moving that even in death, Jesus seems to be reaching out to hold his mother’s
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