The Entombment of Christ
1603–1604 · Oil on canvas · Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican Museums
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About this work
- Artist
- Caravaggio (1571–1610)
- Year
- 1603–1604
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Original size
- 300 × 203 cm
- Collection
- Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican Museums
- Movement
- Baroque
Nicodemus and Saint John lower the dead Christ onto the stone of anointing, his hand brushing the slab, while the Virgin, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas grieve behind them, the last with her arms thrown up. The corner of the stone juts toward the viewer, who stands in the tomb below, and the figures pile up diagonally toward her raised hands. Caravaggio painted the altarpiece between 1602 and 1604 for the Vittrice chapel in Santa Maria in Vallicella, the Oratorians' church in Rome; it was admired at once, copied by Rubens, Fragonard and Cézanne, and was the one picture of his that even his critics praised. Taken to Paris by Napoleon in 1797, it returned in 1817 and was placed in the Vatican, where it hangs in the Pinacoteca.
This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
A dead body lowered onto a stone slab by mourners in red, green and white against black, a dramatic altarpiece for a study, library or hallway at 24×36 in black. Deep red, charcoal or olive walls suit the chiaroscuro; pair it with The Incredulity of Saint Thomas.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Baroque painting
- Era
- 17th century (1603–1604)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Mood
- grand
- Rooms
- hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 24×36. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is The Entombment of Christ in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was The Entombment of Christ painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
