Graflegging van Christus

The Graflegging van Christus is a powerful print created by the Italian High Renaissance master Andrea Mantegna between 1460 and 1470. Executed on paper, this seminal work depicts the solemn moment of Christ’s entombment following his crucifixion. As one of the preeminent draftsmen and printmakers of his era, Mantegna brought intense drama and classical rigor to this central Christian narrative, focusing on the raw, deeply felt grief of the participants as they prepare Christ's body for burial.

Mantegna was crucial in establishing engraving as a significant art form in Italy, transferring the sculptural precision found in his paintings and frescoes directly into the two-dimensional realm of prints. This particular piece showcases his signature archaeological sensibility, drawing heavily on Roman antiquity to frame the biblical drama. His effective use of sharply defined line work and rigorous perspective emphasizes the three-dimensional volume of the figures, a characteristic that profoundly influenced subsequent generations of northern Italian artists. The emotional intensity often associated with Mantegna’s mature style is fully realized in the profound sorrow displayed by the mourners.

Though the exact dating of Mantegna’s printmaking activity remains challenging, this work is considered an important example of his mastery over the medium. Prints, which were inherently reproducible, circulated widely, helping to disseminate Mantegna’s revolutionary compositional style across Europe long before mechanical reproduction was commonplace. This significant piece is preserved within the distinguished collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is studied as a key example of 15th-century Italian graphic art. As a major historical work, high-resolution images are often made available through the museum’s public domain resources.