About the Work
In 1524 the Cologne merchant Gobel Schmitgen donated this altarpiece showing the Lamentation of Christ. It was intended for the north side altar of his parish church, St Maria Lyskirchen. The donor, shown at the left edge of the central panel, procured the services of Joos van Cleve, a leading Antwerp painter of his day, who executed many comparable commissions for export. Very effectively, the body of Christ is presented to the viewer just as the sacred host would be offered during a Mass celebrated at the altar adorned by this scene.