Caravaggio's The Stone Of Unction

Emerging from darkness, pronounced by a bright unseen spotlight, a dramatic moment is captured forever in paint. The participants depicted are identified by the viewer through their gestures and garments and through analysis their scene location can be conjectured. 1.(.The man supporting Christ’s torso is Saint John. This can be determined by his youthful appearance and brilliant red cloak.) .The Virgin can be identified by her blue headdress and outstretched arm. 1.(This gesture is a natural expression of maternal love and instinct as she involuntarily raised her arm as a steadying motion for the body of her son.) The two other women are Mary Cleophas and Mary Magdalene. Cleophas can be identified by her downturned face and slightly more elaborate dress. 1.(The second woman raises her arms in a
The Stone of Unction is the site upon which Christ’s body was prepared for burial and has a very specific set of attributes that Caravaggio’s painting quite clearly lacks. (3.According to legend, it is a stone that is red and streaked with white by the Virgin's indelible tears (pg 45)) Furthermore, the platform is missing the jars of ointment that would be used in the preparation of the deceased. 1(The sharp, precise angle of the slab is the only shared characteristic between the Stone of Unction and the stone in Caravaggio’s painting and is the reason for the speculation upon its iconographic significance.) In Caravaggio’s endeavor for absolute realism and careful attention for detail, it is doubtful that if it was meant to be the Stone of Unction he would have intentionally left them