David does a great job at directing the viewer’s eyes where he wants. Upon first looking at Gerard David’s lamentation (or as stated in the syllabus his deposition) the viewers eyes are directed towards St. John then to Christ himself. The main emphasis of the painting is the lamentation of Christ. The lamentation is emphasized by placing the characters in the fore ground in the center of the painting. The composition of the painting allows the viewer to see the whole painting while focusing on Christ’s lamentation. David made the painting so the viewer will see the background and the foreground as one then drawing the viewer’s attention to the foreground where St. John, Mary and Christ are.

There are a few objects that are fascinating or attractive. One of the objects is the white lily in the foreground with a yellow flower. Another thing that attracts the eyes is the circular object to the left of the lamentation, which looks like the thorny crown Christ wore. There are also the nails that held Christ to the cross and the tools used to pull out the nails. Some objects are puzzling like the city in the background most likely Jerusalem or the heavenly Jerusalem. This is a huge beautiful city coming out of the hills behind St. John. Another is Joseph of Arimathea wearing a turban and exotic clothing. Joseph of Arimathea clothing is the only clothing of that style in the painting.

There are many first responses to David’s painting discussed in the first paragraph. How David promotes these responses is shown throw the space, placement of the viewer, light, color, line and shape, and the composition. For example, David provides much depth in his painting. He illustrates an illusionistic 3-D boundless space. He does this by having objects (like the cross) leave the picture plane.
He has characters touching, with some in front of others and some behind others. He places the city of Jerusalem behind the main scene. He gives the painting mass and volume. David uses correct proportion of characters and objects. Another example of how David promotes these responses is by the placement of the viewer. He places the viewer level with the lamentation. This allows the viewer to feel as if he/she could walk right into the painting and become a part of it. He gives the painting a relatively low horizon line making the painting more life like to the viewer. Another way in which David promotes the responses he wants is by using light. David has more light in the foreground then he has in the background. This promotes the viewer to focus more on the foreground. David also uses neutral light. He has a more even, integrated effect. This allows the viewer to see the painting as if it were real. It makes it look more realistic. David also uses color to promote some of these responses. When the painting is first viewed the viewer notices the bright red of St. Johns robe. This brings the viewers attention to the foreground. The viewer also notices the bright white cloth Christ is on. This also promotes the same effect. As the viewer moves from the foreground to the background he/she notices the darkening of colors. This is not only to show depth but also to show what is the focus of the painting. This darkening draws the viewer away from the background and to the foreground. David uses lines to draw the viewer’s attention to the foreground also. When the painting is first viewed, if the viewer’s attention is drawn somewhere else then the foreground David uses the lines of the base of the cross and the characters to draw the attention to Christ. He brings the viewer’s attention down the cross then at an angle along the bodies toward the lower right corner where he has a white lily and a yellow flower. He also has a distinct horizon line. If the viewer’s attention is drawn too far to the right David uses the rolling hills of the tomb to bring the attention back to the foreground where Christ is. David uses composition to promote certain effects also. He has the main characters of the painting place in a rectangle standing on one corner. This is an unstable image. The image is also a mix of static and dynamic events. The foreground is static while Nicodemus enters the tomb, which is dynamic. This mix shows the grieving going on over the crucifixion of Christ. The essential structure of the painting can easily be grasped at first glace however there is more meaningful structure that requires closer observation.

This image serves as a teaching tool. During the time it was painted many people were illiterate and undereducated. This painting served as a way of teaching the bible, lamentation of Christ, to the people of the city or church. This image however does not do this by itself. The viewer must have knowledge of the bible in order to make the connection. The viewer would need to have preconceived notions of Christ’s life and the beginning of Christianity. David’s painting serves its function by visually explaining an event in the bible. It is not a story line but it is a scene painted from the bible. David ordered the objects and characters so that they could be easily interpreted.