Artwork
The Deposition
The Deposition is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Giuseppe Bernardino Bison. It dates from 1827 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left below image: Bison inv. & del.; lower right below image: Lit. B. Degenhart Trieste 1827.; partial second impression on verso with inscriptions in graphite by later hand: FOSSSS; G.M.G. 16
About this work
Overview
Giuseppe Bernardino Bison, an Italian artist active in the early nineteenth century, produced a lithographic print titled The Deposition in 1827. Executed on wove paper, the work belongs to the print medium rather than his more familiar frescoes and landscape paintings. It is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C.
Subject & Meaning
The image portrays the biblical moment of Christ’s removal from the cross, surrounded by a grieving group of men and women. Figures are arranged around the fallen body, their expressions and gestures conveying sorrow and reverence, while a distant hillside and modest architecture frame the scene.
Technique & Style
Bison employs chiaroscuro in the lithograph, using a light source from the left to model the forms and create spatial depth. The rendering is realistic, with careful attention to facial details and bodily posture, demonstrating the artist’s skill in translating painterly effects to the lithographic process.
History & Provenance
Created during Bison’s itinerant period, the print reflects his broader interest in both decorative and topographical subjects. After its production, the lithograph entered the holdings of the National Gallery of Art, where it remains accessible to the public.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Giuseppe Bernardino Bison (16 June 1762 – 24 August 1844) was an itinerant Italian painter of frescoes, landscapes, vedute, capriccios and some religious works.
