Lamentation
1516
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1516
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a tight crowd of mourners around Christ’s body, their faces twisted in grief. The scene feels cramped, almost spilling into your space. Baldung squeezes the figures into a small frame, making their sorrow feel more urgent. The way he cuts off the top of the painting and angles the bodies was unusual for the time. Even Mary Magdalene’s wild curls seem to vibrate with emotion. To see how other artists handled grief, look up *sfumato*.
