Artwork
The Entombment [recto]
![The Entombment [recto], by John Baptist Jackson, ink, 1739](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-baptist-jackson--the-entombment-recto--a6e32e731f5b1bab-w1024.webp)
The Entombment [recto] is an ink print by the Baroque artist John Baptist Jackson. It dates from 1739 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
John Baptist Jackson, an eighteenth‑century British printmaker, produced a chiaroscuro woodcut titled *The Entombment* in 1739. The piece is a trial proof of the key block, executed entirely in black and demonstrating the dramatic interplay of light and shadow characteristic of the medium.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a somber forest scene in which a figure lies wrapped in cloth while another figure, bearing a long staff, stands nearby. Distant hills, trees, and a building topped with crosses frame the central drama, suggesting a narrative of burial or mourning within a secluded landscape.
Technique & Style
Jackson employed the chiaroscuro woodcut process, carving separate blocks for light and dark areas and printing them in layered passes. The proof shows his use of deep tonal contrasts and precise line work to model volume, creating a quiet yet intense atmosphere through the manipulation of black ink alone.
History & Provenance
Jackson worked chiefly in Paris and Venice, where he produced prints after oil paintings and experimented with overprinting and embossing. *The Entombment* reflects his ongoing technical investigations during this period, serving as a test print that illustrates his evolving approach to woodcut production.
Context
In the early eighteenth century, chiaroscuro woodcut was being revived as a means of achieving painterly effects in print. Jackson’s work aligns with this trend, translating the tonal richness of oil paintings into the graphic language of woodcut, and contributing to the medium’s development beyond its Renaissance origins.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Baptist Jackson (1701–1780) was a British artist, a woodcut printmaker of the eighteenth century.
![The Marriage at Cana [left plate], by John Baptist Jackson](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-baptist-jackson--the-marriage-at-cana-left-plate--22bae83d46cc40b5-w320.webp)
