Christ Carried to the Tomb

Christ Carried to the Tomb is a profoundly meditative print created by Rembrandt van Rijn during the peak years of his career, approximately 1640-1650. This piece exemplifies the artist’s mastery of graphic media, executed through a complex combination of etching and drypoint techniques. The drypoint burr, which scrapes the copper plate, lends a rich, velvety texture to the deepest shadows, allowing Rembrandt to achieve a powerful chiaroscuro that emphasizes the somber drama of the scene.

The composition focuses intensely on the aftermath of the Crucifixion, depicting the moment the lifeless body of Christ is borne toward the sepulchre. A group of solemn Men supports the weight of the central figure, their bowed postures and obscured faces conveying deep grief and reverence. Unlike contemporaneous Baroque works characterized by violent action, Rembrandt emphasizes quiet dignity and exhaustion, utilizing the power of suggestion through shadow rather than explicit detail. The focus on human emotion and naturalistic lighting reflects the key artistic movements of the Dutch Golden Age.

This work is part of Rembrandt's extensive catalog of religious prints, which he often executed parallel to his major oil paintings. Impressions of this delicate masterwork are held in several major collections, reinforcing its importance in the history of graphic arts. This particular impression is preserved within the distinguished collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Given the age and cultural significance of these 17th-century prints, the imagery is often made available to scholars and the general public through the public domain.