The Entombment
1401 to 1500
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 7.6 × 7.82 cm (3 × 3 1/16 in.) gross weight: 284.21 gr (0.627 lb.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.253
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate bronze *The Entombment* by Andrea Briosco, known as Riccio (c. 1470–1532), a master sculptor from Renaissance Padua. Crafted between 1401 and 1500, this intimate plaquette—measuring just 7.6 × 7.82 cm and weighing 284—captures the poignant biblical moment when Christ's body is tenderly laid into the tomb, surrounded by mourning figures like the Virgin Mary and disciples. Riccio's High Renaissance style shines through in the fluid drapery, expressive gestures, and classical proportions, evoking ancient Roman sarcophagi while infusing deep emotional resonance. Bronze was Ric...
About the Artist
Andrea Briosco, called Riccio · 1470–1532
Andrea Briosco, better known by his nickname Riccio ("curly-headed"), was born around 1470 in Padua, the vibrant intellectual hub of Renaissance northern Italy, and died there in 1532. The son of goldsmith Ambrogio di Cristoforo Briosco, he received his initial training in his father's workshop, mastering the delicate techniques of metalwork essential for his future mastery of bronze. Riccio then ...