There is a striking similarity in the way in which the separate locks of hair of Christ rest

on the arms and chest of Christ. The Virgin Mary is also holding Christ' s hand

downward, just as in the Bible ofAvila. A third example that also resembles the style in

the Bible ofAvila is the historiated capital of the cathedral of Pamplona.lso The way the

drapery falls is also very similar to the Bible ofAvila. The loincloth covering Christ is of

the same length and it also has soft curving edges with a marked linear quality. The ribs

of Christ have been incised in the capital but Christ in the Bible ofAvila has not been

completed, but it is possible to still see the ribcage. In terms of composition, the Virgin

Mary holds the arm of Christ downwards, as in the Bible ofAvila. The final example that

more closely resembles the Deposition in the Cycle of the Life and Pa~ssion of Christ is

the tympanum in the portal of the south transept of San Isidoro of Leon. The head of

Christ is turned sideways towards the left in a similar position to its counterpart in the

Bible ofAvila. The position of the arms is also similar, as are the locks of hair resting

softly on His shoulders. The drapery clings to the body of the figures and it has a linear

quality but with a soft curving edge that is similar to the drapery in the Bible ofAvila.

 Another example of the Deposition comes from the church of San Justo and

Pastor in Segovia dated to the end of the 12th century (Fig. 57). In this scene Christ is

deposed from the cross. The Virgin Mary holds tightly the right arm of Christ, while

Nicodemus unnails the left hand of Christ from the Cross and Joseph of Arimathea holds

His body. Above the cross the Sun and the Moon appear again, along with the two

angels, who now do not carry the incense burners--figures that do not appear in the Bible

ofAvila. On the left of Christ, Saint John and someone, possibly one of the holy women


Iso De Palol, P., EarlyE~~~~EEEEE~~~~EEEE Medieval Art in Spain, 1967, p. 156.