The Entombment
Medium
Red chalk
Dimensions
11 15/16 x 15 7/8 in. (30.3 x 40.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cephas G. Thompson, 1887
Accession Number
87.12.145
Tags
Art Historical Context
**The Entombment**, a poignant 18th-century drawing red chalk, captures the solemn moment of Christ’s body being lowered into the, a recurring theme in Christian art symbolizing sacrifice, mourning, and redemption. Attributed variably to Johann Friedrich Over or an anonymous German artist, this work exemplifies the devotional intensity of Northern European religious imagery during the period. Measuring 11 15/16 x 15 7/8 inches, its intimate scale invites close contemplation, much like a personal prayer book illustration. Rendered in sanguine red chalk—a favored medium for its warm, fleshy ton...