Description
Guercino’s career is unusually well documented, in part due to the survival of his account books, which reveal that he charged a set amount for each figure in a picture. According to the entry for this painting, the client wished to pay only for one full-length, one bust-length, and three half-length figures. Guercino’s moving composition attests to his resourcefulness in overcoming such restrictions. Christ and the attendant mourners are depicted with compelling restraint and in accord with the patron’s budget.
Provenance
Painted for anonymous "Cavaliere Veneziano," 1656 [acc. to Guercino account book, see Stone, 1991]. Colonna Collection, Rome by 1783 [no. 205 in 1783 inventory]. Sold from Colonna collection to Giovanni de' Rossi (Du Rubeis) [Mahon, 1968] after 1795 [listed in 1795 Colonna inventory]. Probably sold by Giovanni de' Rossi (de Rubeis) to Sir Simon Clarke, by 1802 [Salerno (1988), also engraved in 1802 by P. Fontana]. Probably sold by Clarke to James Irvine as agent for William Buchanan by 1803 [Buchanan (1824) pp. 117-118]. John Humble. Probably consigned by Humble for sale by F. C. DeBligney, London, March 15, 1809, no. 94 but likely bought in [Getty provenance index]. Sold at Humble sale, Christie's, London, April 11, 1812, no. 56 to Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, Earl of Yarmouth (later the 3rd Marquess of Hartford) for 430 guineas [Mahon, 1968]. Sold by Mr. Yates to Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley-Owen (died 1867), Tedsmore Hall, Oswestry, England, 1818 [acc. Owen sale cat.]. Bought in, his sale, Christie's, London, April 30,1868. By descent to his eldest son, Bulkeley Hatchett Bulkeley-Owen (died 1868), Tedsmore Hall; by descent to his brother, Rev. Thomas Mainwaring Bulkeley Bulkeley-Owen (died 1910), Tedsmore Hall; by descent to his twin sister, Mrs. Rev. Edward Jacson, (Frances Marianne Eliza), Tedsmore Hall; by descent to her son, Rev. Owen Fitzherbert Jacson (died 1935), Tedsmore Hall; by descent to his son, Fitzherbert Edward Shallcross Jacson, Tedsmore Hall; by descent to his wife, Mrs. F. E. S. Jacson (née Ruth Henrietta Hanmer). Julius H. Weitzner, New York. Sold by Weitzner to the Art Institute, 1956.
Accession Number
86323
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
146.7 × 221.2 cm (57 3/4 × 87 1/16 in.); Framed: 172.7 × 247 × 8.9 cm (68 × 97 1/4 × 3 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Wilson L. Mead Fund
Background & Context
Background Story
Guercino's "The Entombment" (1656) is an oil on canvas depicting the burial of Christ after the Crucifixion. Guercino (1591–1666) was one of the most important painters of the Italian Baroque, known for his dramatic compositions, his dynamic draftsmanship, and his ability to convey intense emotion through gesture and expression. This Entombment shows the body of Christ being carried to the tomb by his followers, including Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and the grieving Virgin Mary. The composition is organized around the body of Christ, which is the focal point of the composition. The figures are arranged in a frieze-like manner, their gestures and expressions conveying the sorrow of the moment. The palette is dark and rich, with the reds and blues of the figures' garments standing out against the dark background. The lighting is dramatic, with the body of Christ illuminated more brightly than the surrounding figures, emphasizing its centrality to the composition and its significance to the Christian faith. This painting belongs to Guercino's late period, when his style had become more classical and restrained while retaining its Baroque emotional power.
Cultural Impact
Guercino's religious paintings represent the highest achievement of the Italian Baroque, combining dramatic composition with profound emotional expression and technical mastery.
Why It Matters
This Entombment captures the sorrow and dignity of Christ's burial, the dramatic lighting and expressive gestures creating an image of profound religious feeling and Baroque theatrical power.
