Artwork
The Entombment of Christ
The Entombment of Christ is a tempera painting by the Italo Byzantine artist Ugolino di Nerio. It dates from 1330 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
It is presently part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Created circa 1330, The Entombment of Christ is a tempera panel painted by Ugolino di Nerio, an Italian artist active in Siena and Florence during the early fourteenth century. Executed in the Italo‑Byzantine idiom, the work portrays the burial of Jesus with a restrained palette of browns and muted tones, emphasizing the solemnity of the scene. It is presently part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a lifeless figure, presumed to be Christ, laid upon a stone slab and swathed in a white shroud that reveals a vivid red wound on the side. Surrounding mourners, clad in robes of red, green, and brown, express grief through gestures of touch and uplifted arms, conveying the collective sorrow of the Passion narrative.
Technique & Style
Ugolino employed egg tempera, a medium that allows for fine detail and a luminous surface. The painting’s flat modeling, gold‑like highlights, and hierarchical arrangement of figures reflect the Byzantine legacy that persisted in Sienese art, while the subtle gradations of brown and beige introduce a modest sense of spatial depth.
History & Provenance
A disciple of Duccio di Buoninsegna, Ugolino helped transmit the Sienese visual language to Florentine patrons, receiving commissions for churches such as Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce. The panel eventually entered the German market and was acquired by the Gemäldegalerie, where it remains on display.
Context
The work belongs to a period when Italian painters were integrating Byzantine conventions with emerging local sensibilities. In the early 1300s, depictions of the Entombment served liturgical and devotional purposes, reinforcing the theological significance of Christ’s sacrifice for contemporary audiences.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ugolino di Nerio (1280? – 1349) was an Italian painter active in his native city of Siena and in Florence between the years 1317 and 1327. He was a follower of Duccio di Buoninsegna, from whose Maestà some of his…
