The Entombment of Christ

This painting in situated within a dark cave which houses Jesus’s tomb. Out in the daylight, beyond the cave’s mouth, the three crosses of the crucifixion can be glimpsed on the hill of Golgotha, while Christ’s tomb emerges from the left foreground. The long journey of the carriers of Christ’s dead body is nearing its end. The figures are elongated and painted with dynamic, sweeping brushstrokes which emphasise the lifelessness of Christ’s body. His limbs, pale and white, drape and fall over his carriers’ arms. The scene is heavy with emotion as the magnitude of Christ’s death bears down on his carriers, like the literal weight of his body.  

This painting has been attributed to the Italian Allesandro Magnasco (1667-1749), a Genoese artist known for his vigorous yet sombre style and elongated figures. During his youth he was a pupil of the Italian painter, Filippo Abbiati (1640-1715) in Milan. He then moved to Florence in 1703 to work for the Medici court, later returning to Milan to study at the Accademia di San Luca. In 1735 he returned to his native city of Genoa, where he would stay until his death.