Artwork
Grablegung Christi (Kopie nach)
Grablegung Christi (Kopie nach) is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Christoph Schwarz. It dates from 1568 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1568, the work attributed to Christoph Schwarz depicts a somber scene from the Passion of Christ. Executed as a religious painting, it is presently part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The composition presents a nocturnal forest setting in which four male figures are gathered around a central, crown‑wreathed figure.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, depicted shirtless and bent over, bears the crown of thorns traditionally associated with Christ’s suffering. One companion clutches his arm, while the other two stand nearby, their gazes directed downward. The arrangement conveys the moment of Christ’s burial, emphasizing human grief and the solemnity of the ritual.
Technique & Style
Schwarz employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting a luminous foreground with a deep, shadowed woodland backdrop. The strong light isolates the faces and hands, rendering the figures three‑dimensional and heightening the emotional intensity. The painter’s handling of light and shadow reflects the late‑Renaissance interest in dramatic visual effects.
History & Provenance
The painting is a copy after an earlier model, as indicated by its title, which references a replication of an established composition of the Burial of Christ. Since its creation in the mid‑16th century, the work has entered the holdings of the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s German Renaissance collection.
Artist & collection
