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The Dead Body of Christ

Martial Desbois

1690

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Religious

Dominant colour

The Dead Body of Christ is a 1690 ink by Martial Desbois, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Martial Desbois
When & what style?: 1690 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This painting shows a nude male figure, Christ, lying on a draped cloth. He is positioned on his side, with his head resting on his right arm. His left arm is bent, and his hand is placed near his stomach. A crown of thorns is visible in the bottom left corner of the image. The figure is depicted in a realistic manner, with attention to detail in the muscles and facial features. The background of the painting is dark, which helps to emphasize the figure of Christ. The use of chiaroscuro in this painting creates a sense of depth and drama. To learn more about this artistic technique, look up chiaroscuro.