Artwork
Entombment
Entombment is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Benvenuto Tisi. It dates from 1525 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
The setting includes a landscape with distant trees and architectural elements, situating the solemn act within a recognizable environment.
Benvenuto Tisi’s oil on canvas, dated 1525, portrays the biblical episode of Christ’s entombment. The composition centers on a bearded figure wrapped in a simple loincloth, surrounded by mourners in richly colored garments. The setting includes a landscape with distant trees and architectural elements, situating the solemn act within a recognizable environment. The work is part of the collection of the State Hermitage Museum.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures the moment after the crucifixion when followers prepare the body of Jesus for burial. Figures reach toward the central form, expressing grief and reverence, while their varied attire suggests a gathering of diverse witnesses. The scene emphasizes the human response to loss and the theological significance of Christ’s transition from death to resurrection.
Technique & Style
Tisi employs a realistic approach, rendering fabrics and facial expressions with meticulous detail. A careful modulation of light and shadow—chiaroscuro—creates depth, isolating the central figure and enhancing the emotional intensity. The palette balances muted earth tones with vivid reds and blues in the robes, contributing to a layered spatial impression.
History & Provenance
Created in the early sixteenth century, the work reflects the artist’s activity in the Lombard region during the High Renaissance. It entered the State Hermitage Museum’s holdings in the twentieth century, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s European painting collection, illustrating the spread of Italian religious art beyond its native context.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benvenuto Tisi (Italian: ; 1481 – September 6, 1559), also known as Il Garofalo (Italian: ), was a Late-Renaissance-Mannerist Italian painter of the School of Ferrara.
