The Entombment (Stabat Mater Prayer), from a Book of Hours c. 1480

Jean Colombe painted "The Entombment" in the late 15th century in this small, but deeply resonant miniature from a Book of Hours. Here, Christ is shown laid in his tomb, mourned by his mother and followers, a scene laden with symbols of grief, faith, and redemption. Note how this scene echoes across cultures and eras; the mourning mother, for example, can be traced back to ancient depictions of Mater Dolorosa, her sorrow a universal language of loss. Her gesture, repeated by the other figures surrounding Christ's body, links them in shared misery. The ladder behind the body, a stark reminder of the crucifixion, becomes a leitmotif. We see it repurposed in countless iterations of religious suffering. The scene’s emotional power lies in its capacity to evoke profound feelings of empathy and sorrow. The symbols are not fixed; they are in constant flux, reappearing and evolving across time. This miniature is a testament to the enduring power of images to shape our collective memory.