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Jonathan Mayer

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Deposition

Deposition
Deposition

Pencil on Bristol board, 2009

Deposition | Media List


Statement

My artwork has always been inspired by the Masters of classical painting. Caravaggio has long been one of my favorite artists, and having the privilege of seeing many of his paintings in Italy has fueled my admiration of his work. Dramatic figures emerging out of the darkness was the key element in the Baroque style which Caravaggio championed. This drawing, "Deposition," was inspired directly by Caravaggio's "Entombment." The man holding Jesus' legs is one of my favorite subjects from a painting, so naturally he was carried over into the drawing almost verbatim. Mary and the other disciple were invented, but were also based on figures from Caravaggio's works. For instance, Mary's face I borrowed from one of the few tender moments in Caravaggio's paintings, "Rest on the Flight into Egypt." For the figure of Jesus, I took a step away from Caravaggio's muscular version in preference for the elongated body in Michelangelo's "Pietá."

But in order to talk about the content of the drawing, historical precedence must be set aside. The drawing depicts a moment after the "deposition," or the carrying down, of Jesus' body from the cross. Jesus' importance in the composition is emphasized by his central location and horizontal orientation. Romans did not allow capital criminals the dignity of even minimal covering, and so Christ is depicted nude. The wounds displayed on his hands, feet and side serve as proof of his death, and two days later would serve as proof of his triumphant resurrection. The two disciples I leave unnamed, but their simple act of love serves as an example of Christians in all vocations: "Inasmuch as you did for one of the least of these My Brethren, you did for Me." Mary, numb with grief for her Son, remains to the back of the composition. She tenderly reaches out to touch her Savior's face as he is carried away to the tomb.