Cycles of the Labours (or Occupations) of the Months were popular in medieval art & reappeared in northern Italy in the 16th century. The six pictures here represent: January
- a man warming himself by the stove; February
- a man making stakes; March -

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Cycles of the Labours (or Occupations) of the Months were popular in medieval art & reappeared in northern Italy in the 16th century. The six pictures here represent: January
- a man warming himself by the stove; February
- a man making stakes; March -

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Cycles of the Labours (or Occupations) of the months were popular in medieval art & reappeared in northern Italy in the 16th century. The six pictures here represent: July
- a man threshing grain; August
- a man resting in the shade of a tree; September

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Cycles of the Labours (or Occupations) of the months were popular in medieval art & reappeared in northern Italy in the 16th century. The six pictures here represent: July
- a man threshing grain; August
- a man resting in the shade of a tree; September

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Cycles of the Labours (or Occupations) of the months were popular in medieval art & reappeared in northern Italy in the 16th century. The six pictures here represent: July
- a man threshing grain; August
- a man resting in the shade of a tree; September

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Christ's dead body is mourned at the foot of the cross by the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene (identified by her blond hair), Saint John the Evangelist, & probably Nicodemus & Saint Joseph of Arimathea. The composition of the picture is influenced by a Re ...

The composition of the picture is influenced by a Rembrandt treatment of the ' The Lamentation over the Dead Christ' which was at the time in the possession of the British consul, Joseph Smith, in Venice, & might therefore have been known to Tiepolo. It is also closely related to another version by the same artist, ' The Lamentation at the foot of the Cross'. It may be part of a series of pictures on the Passion themes. ...

The theme of the Lamentation is traditional, although it is not described in the Bible. It shows Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene & others, weeping over his body after the Crucifixion. Rembrandt's picture is carefully constructed to connect with other episodes of the story of Christ's suffering & death. The two thieves remind us of the Crucifixion itself. The figures climbing down the ladders recall the Deposition, when Christ's body was brought down from the cross. The group of people on the right

Includes:: a man with a feathered hat, whose elegant dress may be meant to suggest Joseph of Arimathaea, who provided the tomb for the Entombment, the burial of Christ. This monochrome oil sketch or 'grisaille' was probably made around 1635 for an etching which was not executed. It has an extremely complex make-up. Rembrandt began by making an oil sketch on paper; he then tore out a section & mounted the rest on canvas. He continued the design on the canvas at the lower right. Finally a pupil added canvas strips at the top & bottom.

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The dead Christ is supported by Saint John the Evangelist. The Virgin laments by his side while the Magdalen leans forward to kiss his feet. This incident is not described in the Gospels, but forms part of a long pictorial tradition. Ribera painted several Lamentations & Depositions most notably a ' Lamentation' in an upright composition of 1637 (Naples, Certosa di San Martino). However, the National Gallery work appears to be his earliest surviving painting of the subject. It is marked by the influence of Caravaggio in its directness & lack of idealisation. Ribera painted the picture in Naples & it has been suggested that it is the work he executed for the Genoese nobleman Marcantonio Doria in 1623. ...

The painting shows in the background the town of Dordrecht (Dort) from the south-east. The skyline is dominated by the Grote Kerk with the Vuilpoort, one of the town's water gates (demolished in 1864), beyond the windmill to the left. A similar view appears in another National Gallery painting by Cuyp, known as ' The Small Dort'. The church & the water gate are seen from another angle in ' The Maas at Dordrecht in a Storm' by Cuyp, also in the National Gallery's Collection. This landscape is a mature work, probably of the late 1650s, demonstrated by the exceptional quality of the monumental representation of the cows, three at rest, & one standing placidly observing the milkmaid at work. ...