Entombment of Christ
1548
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 7 1/4 x 8 1/8 in. (18.4 x 20.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949
Accession Number
49.95.135
Art Historical Context
Behold the poignant *Entombment of* (1548), an engraving by Flemish artist Lambert Suavius (ca. 1510–1567). This evocative print captures a sacred moment from the Passion of Christ, where mourners tenderly lower his body into the tomb—a theme central to Christian iconography during the Renaissance. Suavius, a masteraver active in Antwerp and influenced by Italian Renaissance masters, brought emotional depth and classical composure to religious subjects, bridging Northern and Southern European traditions. Crafted as an engraving on a modest sheet (7 1/4 x 8 1/8 in.), this medium revolutionized...
About the Artist
Lambert Suavius · 1510–1576
Lambert Suavius (c.1510–c.1574/76), whose Flemish family name was Zutman, was born in Liège, in the southern Netherlands. He was the son of an episcopal goldsmith, Henri Zutman, and from his father's craft environment he inherited a training in the precise handling of metal and an appreciation for fine detail work. He became closely associated with his brother-in-law Lambert Lombard, the leading a...