The Entombment of Christ, the Crosses on Calvary Visible in Left Background
Original title: The entombment of Christ, the crosses on Calvary visble in left background
kurzbeschreibung
Giulio Bonasone made this Entombment of Christ in 1563 as an etching, finished with engraving. Mourners gather around the body of Jesus, and at the back on the left the crosses of Golgotha rise against the sky.
Description
At the foot of the dead Christ a woman, most likely Mary, kneels at the centre of the image. One hand rests on the body, the other is raised in a gesture of grief or prayer. Others stand around the group and share in the mourning. Two crosses at the left rear recall the place of crucifixion. Trees and shrubs break up a hilly landscape. The greys of the print stay monochrome throughout.
Context
The Bolognese engraver Giulio Bonasone also worked in Rome during the sixteenth century. This sheet of 1563 belongs to the religious printmaking of the Counter-Reformation, which often spread devotional images. Alongside reproductions after well-known paintings, Bonasone made inventions of his own; this Entombment is one of those independent designs.
Impact
The layout draws the eye to the grieving group at the centre and calls up a quiet, moving mood. Clear contours and finely graded lines add to a solemn devotion that draws the viewer into the event.
Technique
The lines were laid down in etching and then reworked with the burin. The two processes together produce precise hatching and graded tones that support the richness of detail in the subject. The shades of grey come from printing black ink on paper.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)