Who painted Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb?

Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb was painted by Palma il Giovane in 1592.

Where can I see Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb?

Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb is held by Hermitage Museum.

What movement is Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb?

Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb

Palma il Giovane , 1592

Apostles at the Virgin's Tomb is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Palma il Giovane. It dates from 1592 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.

About this work

Overview

Completed in 1592, this oil on canvas by Iacopo Negretti—better known as Palma il Giovane—illustrates a biblical tableau that belongs to the late‑Mannerist period. The composition is part of the State Hermitage Museum’s collection, where it is displayed among other works of the same era.

Subject & Meaning

The scene gathers a group of cloaked apostles around an open tomb. A kneeling figure in red reaches toward a shrouded body lying within, while his companions lean in, point, or hold scrolls, suggesting a moment of discovery and reverence surrounding the Virgin’s burial.

Technique & Style

Palma il Giovane employs a warm palette of reds, browns, and golds, contrasted with a soft blue‑white sky. Light falls across faces and garments, creating luminous highlights beside deeper shadows—a clear use of chiaroscuro that enhances spatial depth and dramatizes the narrative.

History & Provenance

After its creation in Venice, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the Russian state. It now resides in the State Hermitage Museum, where it forms part of the institution’s representation of late‑Renaissance religious art.

Artist & collection

Artist

Palma il Giovane

Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ('Young Palma'), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school.