Artwork

The Entombment of the Virgin with Saint Bartholomew (left) and a Female Saint (right)

The Entombment of the Virgin with Saint Bartholomew (left) and a Female Saint (right) is an unspecified painting by Giovanni di Paolo. It dates from 1455 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1455 by the Sienese painter Giovanni di Paolo, this tempera panel depicts the burial of the Virgin Mary. The work is presently conserved in the Fitzwilliam Museum, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑15th‑century devotional art.

Subject & Meaning

The central scene shows a stone sarcophagus holding the deceased Virgin, swathed in a red‑and‑white shroud. Flanking the tomb are two figures: on the left, a bearded man in a white shirt and dark robe, hands clasped in prayer; on the right, a woman in a red robe and head covering, also praying. Their gestures underscore the theme of reverent mourning and intercession.

Technique & Style

Executed in the medieval Sienese tradition, the composition is divided into three vertical registers. The landscape behind the tomb features a stylised mountain range beneath a clear blue sky, while the figures are rendered with delicate line work and flat areas of colour typical of Giovanni di Paolo’s workshop.

History & Provenance

The panel entered the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum in the early 20th century, where it has remained in public ownership. Its attribution to Giovanni di Paolo rests on stylistic comparison with other dated works from the artist’s mature period in the 1450s.

Artist & collection

Artist

Giovanni di Paolo

Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia was an Italian painter, working primarily in Siena, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including Dante's texts.