The figure is reminiscent of an older painting in which the Parent of Christ is portrayed with her own parent standing beside her. The representation of God as a Parent standing behind his son enables the spectator to connect to the Holy Trinity on a more personal level, which was a daring move at a period when the Catholic Church maintained a tight hierarchy that claimed the people could only communicate with God through clergy appointed by the Church. It alludes to the new humanistic era in art and ideas that were starting to emerge with the Early Renaissance. The imaginary design of the place, on the other hand, includes degrees of detachment. God is over and behind Christ, who is above the apostles; the contributors are near to God because of their giving to the church; and the observer is well below the picture, gazing in. A realistic depiction of a tomb with a skeleton laying on atop of it is at eye level and 'or underneath' the artwork's imaginary foundation. The line I used to be what it is you are, as well as what I am you shall be is etched onto the monument in Italian. As they look up at the picture of Christ suffering for their redemption, the audience is reminded of their own death.