Who painted The Entombment?

The Entombment was painted by Rembrandt in 1654.

Where can I see The Entombment?

The Entombment is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Entombment?

The Entombment is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

The Entombment

Rembrandt , 1654

The Entombment is an ink print by the Baroque artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work titled *The Entombment* is a print created by Rembrandt van Rijn around 1654. Executed with a combination of etching, drypoint, and burin, the image presents a densely populated nocturnal scene in which figures lower the body of Christ into a tomb. The composition is dominated by deep shadows and a compact arrangement of mourners, emphasizing the solemnity of the moment.

Subject & Meaning

The crowded arrangement of mourners, each rendered with a distinct gesture, conveys collective grief and the ritual weight of the event.

The print depicts the biblical episode of Christ’s burial, focusing on the physical act of placing the lifeless figure into the tomb. The crowded arrangement of mourners, each rendered with a distinct gesture, conveys collective grief and the ritual weight of the event. By concentrating on the act of lowering rather than the crucifixion itself, Rembrandt invites contemplation of transition and finality.

Technique & Style

Rembrandt employed a multi‑process approach: he etched broad areas with acid, then added drypoint lines by incising directly with a sharp needle, and finished details with a burin. The resulting marks are uneven and spontaneous, giving the surface a sketch‑like immediacy. Ink settles in the freshly cut grooves, producing deep, velvety blacks that reinforce the work’s somber atmosphere.

History & Provenance

The print was produced in the mid‑1650s, a period when Rembrandt was experimenting with increasingly expressive printmaking methods. While specific ownership records are scarce, the piece has been catalogued among his late prints and appears in several major collections of Dutch graphic art, reflecting its continued scholarly interest and exhibition.

Artist & collection

Artist

Rembrandt

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.