The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of June 21, 2025

The Entombment

c. 1550s
(Italian, c. 1500–1563)
Italy, 16th century
woodcut
Sheet: 32.8 x 24.3 cm (12 15/16 x 9 9/16 in.); Image: 30.5 x 22.3 cm (12 x 8 3/4 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1973.130
Catalogue raisonné: Passavant 39 (VI.230)
Location: not on view

Description

This woodcut represents an episode after the Crucifixion when Christ's followers bring his corpse to the tomb. A cavernous backdrop draws attention to the figures in the foreground where the savior's body, displaying wounds on its hands and feet, become the focus of the viewer's devotion. At left, three women care for the motionless Virgin whose collapsed body mirrors that of her dead son. Two bearded disciples—Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus—attend to the body. One removes the crown of thorns from Christ's head. In its place, a thin halo appears in reference to Christ's imminent resurrection.
  • purchased from (David Tunick, Inc., NY)
  • Mannerism: Italian, French, and Netherlandish Prints, 1520-1620. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 3-October 26, 1997).
    Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland, 1969 - 1979. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 4, 1979-January 27, 1980).
    Year in Review: 1973. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 30-March 17, 1974).
  • {{cite web|title=The Entombment|url=false|author=Andrea Schiavone|year=c. 1550s|access-date=21 June 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1973.130