Artwork
Entombment of Christ
Entombment of Christ is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Luca Giordano. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Overview
Luca Giordano’s 1659 oil on canvas, Entombment of Christ, presents a solemn biblical episode. The work is part of the Detroit Institute of Arts collection, where it remains on display as a representative example of mid‑seventeenth‑century religious painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures the moment when Christ’s body is being laid in the tomb. A small group of mourners surrounds the figure, one of them holding a white shroud that folds over the fallen form, emphasizing the themes of sacrifice and mourning inherent to the narrative.
Technique & Style
Giordano employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, setting a strong light source in the upper left that illuminates the central figures while casting the surrounding space into deep shadow. This contrast heightens the emotional intensity and gives the scene a three‑dimensional presence, while the realistic rendering of faces and garments adds a tangible human quality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1659, the painting entered the Detroit Institute of Arts at an unspecified later date and has since been catalogued as a key work within the museum’s European Baroque holdings, illustrating Giordano’s prolific output during his Roman period.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Giordano was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Giordano was one of the most celebrated artists of the Neapolitan Baroque, whose vast output included altarpieces, mythological paintings and…
