The Entombment (Michelangelo)
The Entombment | |
---|---|
Artist | Michelangelo |
Year | c. 1500–1501 |
Catalogue | NG790 |
Medium | oil on panel |
Dimensions | 161.7 cm × 149.9 cm (63.7 in × 59.0 in) |
Condition | Unfinished |
Location | National Gallery, London |
Preceded by | Rondanini Pietà |
Followed by | Doni Tondo |
The Entombment is an unfinished
History
The chronological position of this work has been the source of some dispute, although it is generally considered an early work.[2] Some authorities believe that it may have been executed by one of Michelangelo's pupils from a drawing by the master or was a direct imitation of his work.[3]
According to documents discovered in 1981,
Depiction
The centre of the panel portrays the naked body of the dead Christ being carried up a flight of steps to the sepulchre, which was intended to be painted in the blank area in the rocks at the top right of the work.[5]
Michelangelo's typically androgynous depiction of the other figures makes it difficult to identify them securely. The bearded older man behind Jesus is possibly
The identity of the two figures on the right is uncertain. Suggestions for the figure standing to the right side of the body of Jesus, supporting it along with St John, range from
The floating appearance of some of the figures may be partly explained by the fact that the painting is intended to be viewed from below,[7] and to the fact that it is unfinished. However, the apparent incongruity of the stance of the bearer on the right remains problematical.[8]
Many of the unfinished parts of the painting, such as the cloak of the missing Virgin, would have required quantities of the expensive blue pigment ultramarine made from powdered lapis lazuli. If this was in short supply, it could be that this would have held up completion of the painting, which may explain why it was unfinished.[9] However, even if this were so, it would not explain why the artist could not have completed the many other parts of the painting that did not require any blue.[10]
The composition is a novel one, with the body of Jesus typically held horizontally in paintings of
The work was in the
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Michelangelo, sketch of a kneeling woman, Louvre
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Michelangelo, sketch of a standing man, Louvre
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Fra Angelico, Entombment predalla, 1438–1440, Alte Pinakothek
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Workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, Dead Christ before the Tomb, c.1485, Badia a Settimo
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Hirst & Dunkerton 1994, p. 131, endnote 11.
- ^ Hirst & Dunkerton 1994, p. 60.
- ^ "Sepoltura di Cristo: La tela incompiuta di Michelangelo". buonarroti.eu (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2006-11-04.
- ^ Hirst, Michael (October 1981). "Michelangelo in Rome: an altar-piece and the 'Bacchus'". The Burlington Magazine. 581ff.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Entombment (or Christ being carried to his Tomb): Description". The National Gallery. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Hirst & Dunkerton 1994, p. 67.
- ^ Graham-Dixon, Andrew (25 October 1994). "Anatomy of a Genius". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
- ^ Hirst & Dunkerton 1994, p. 69.
- ^ Hirst & Dunkerton 1994, pp. 70, 123.
- ^ McCouat, Philip. "Michelangelo's disputed Entombment". Journal of Art in Society. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
Works cited
- Hirst, Michael; Dunkerton, Jill (1994). Making and Meaning: the Young Michelangelo. London: National Gallery Publications.
External links
Media related to Entombment (Michelangelo) at Wikimedia Commons