This limewood carving shows the influence of medieval sculpture, as well as the work of Eric Gill. The three male figures are almost identical in posture, apart from the tilt of their heads, and the subject has a biblical tone, although it is not explicit that the work depicts the deposition of Christ from the cross. Whalen carried out a number of religious commissions, as well as work for schools, civic venues and power stations. Although he was not described as a particularly religious man, he was deeply spiritual, and many of his works explore universal themes.