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The Entombment

Lambert Suavius

1548

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

The Entombment is a 1548 ink by Lambert Suavius, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Lambert Suavius
When & what style?: 1548 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This black-and-white scene shows a group of people around a dead man lying on a cloth. Some stand close, touching him or each other, while others look away. The background has a rough stone wall with small scenes carved into it, and a window with a cross on the glass. One person kneels beside the body, another sits slumped, and a child stands nearby, holding a cloth. The artist used fine lines and shading to create depth, making the figures look three-dimensional. The text at the top is in Latin, likely explaining the scene. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this one made detailed prints.