Author: N / A
Created: early 20th century.
Material / technique: wood carving, polychrome.
Dimensions: the coffin: length - 40 cm; Jesus: length - 38 cm; sculptures: St Joseph: high - 25 cm; St Mary Magdalena: high - 34 cm; St John: high - 35 cm; Virgin Mary: high - 36 cm.
Jesus is laid in the tomb is the Fourteenth Station of the Way of the Cross depicting Jesus Christ lying in the tomb or on a board covered with a linen cloth. The Virgin Mary, St John, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are there. Sometimes there are more mourning saints, angels and apostles. According to the Gospel, the body of Jesus Christ was wrapped in a linen shroud and was laid in the tomb which had been hewn out of the rock.
The body of Jesus, which had just been taken down from the cross, was according to the Jewish custom wrapped in a white linen cloth and his face was also covered with a shroud. On the Mount of Calvary /.../ Joseph had hewn a new tomb out of the rock. When it was time to bury Jesus, Joseph told the others to take him to the tomb. All of them carried the body. Nicodemus anointed the body of the Saviour well. In the end they wept, left the tomb and rolled a stone over the entrance. While the men were doing this, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph sat in front of the tomb; they wept and saw where the body of the Lord was laid. It was all done on the Preparation Day before sunset. (Motiejus Valančius, „Žyvatas Jėzaus Kristaus Viešpaties mūsų“, Raštai 3, p. 531–533)
Reference: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, Kat. No, P. 106.
Exhibition: Exhibition of the collection of Lithuanian art of dr. Jaunius Gumbis "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.
Published: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, Kat. No, P. 108.
Photograph: display in the exhibition "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.