High Relief: Deposition of Christ

myminifactory

This relief sculpture depicts Christ being taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, an event recounted in the Gospels. It is one of the most popular subjects in Byzantine art, having become fashionable in the 9th century, while in the West it gained popularity a century later. The Descent from the Cross is Station Number 13 on the traditional Stations of the Cross. Other figures often included in these scenes are Saint John the Evangelist, who may be shown supporting a fainting Mary, and Mary Magdalene. The Gospels mention several unnamed women as watching Christ's crucifixion, including the Three Marys, and also that the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene saw him being buried. These women, along with additional helpers, are frequently depicted. The largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia is Saint Isaac's Cathedral or Isaakievskiy Sobor. It is not only the city's largest orthodox basilica but also the world's fourth-largest cathedral by volume under its cupola. Dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great, who was born on that saint's feast day, the church has stood on St Isaac's Square since 1818. The original structure at this location had been designed by Vincenzo Brenna but was later replaced by Tsar Alexander I with a new building. Under the direction of Montferrand, construction took forty years to complete and ended in 1858. The exterior is neoclassical in style, adhering to traditional Russian-Byzantine architecture principles, featuring a Greek-cross ground plan with a large central dome and four smaller domes.