The Entombment of Christ
Luca Giordano·c. 1670
Historical Context
The Entombment of Christ at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston depicts the burial of Christ's body, a solemn Passion subject requiring the artist to convey both physical weight and spiritual gravity. Giordano's treatment follows the Neapolitan tradition of emotionally charged sacred narrative. Giordano's religious narratives synthesize the colorism of Venetian painting — learned from direct study of Titian and Veronese — with the dramatic lighting of Caravaggio and Ribera. His legendary speed, ea...
Technical Analysis
The bearers' straining effort to carry Christ's body creates a composition of physical and emotional weight. Dramatic lighting focuses on the pale corpus while shadows envelop the surrounding figures.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the bearers' straining effort to carry Christ's body: the physical weight of the dead is made visible through the figures' postures and muscular effort.
- ◆Look at the pale corpus as the composition's luminous center: Giordano renders the dead Christ with the same luminous flesh he uses for sleeping gods and dying philosophers.
- ◆Find the dramatic lighting focusing on the corpse while shadows envelop the surrounding figures: the standard chiaroscuro of the Entombment subject is here deployed with full Baroque confidence.
- ◆Observe that Boston's Museum of Fine Arts holds both this Entombment and several other Giordano works — the collection's multiple holdings allow comparison of his handling of related subjects across different periods.
