The Apostles Gathered Around the Tomb of the Virgin
1594
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1594
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Apostles Gathered Around the Tomb of the Virgin is a 1594 by Camillo Procaccini, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
Twelve men in robes cluster around an open stone tomb. Their faces twist in shock, hands raised as if shouting. The tomb is empty. This is a practice sketch for a much bigger church painting. Procaccini drew it to work out poses and lighting before tackling the final wall. The quick, scribbly lines show him thinking on paper—figures overlap, expressions shift from one try to the next. If you like how he builds drama with light and shadow, look up chiaroscuro.
