Lamentation

Baldung's originality is evident in Lamentation, one of his most expressive and deeply moving works. Every element—radical foreshortening, compressed figures in exaggerated poses, the abruptly truncated top of the composition, even the frenzy of Mary Magdalene's cascading curls—intensifies the expression of grief. The low point of view projects instruments of the Passion into the spectator's space, making one a participant in this anguished drama.