Basic Information

Historical Context

A woodcut from the Large Passion series depicting the deposition and entombment of Christ. This subject was among the most emotionally charged in the Passion cycle. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description The dead body of Christ is lowered into a stone sarcophagus by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. The Virgin Mary supports Christ's head, her face contorted with grief. Mary Magdalene and other mourners stand nearby. The rocky tomb setting creates a dramatic, enclosed space. Artistic Analysis Dürer's Entombment combines emotional intensity with careful compositional organization. The arrangement of figures around the sarcophagus creates a pyramidal structure that draws the eye to the central image of the dead Christ. The Virgin's grief-stricken expression provides the emotional focal point of the composition.