The Entombment, from "The Passion"

The Entombment, from "The Passion" is a pivotal engraving created by Albrecht Dürer in 1512. This print is part of a larger devotional series illustrating the narrative of Christ’s final hours, showcasing the German Renaissance master’s unparalleled skill in the medium. Dürer was instrumental in elevating the art of engraving, employing sophisticated cross-hatching and precise line work to achieve a level of depth and texture previously unseen in prints.

The composition captures the solemn moment of Christ’s burial, a subject central to Christian iconography and deeply imbued with profound sadness. The emotional weight of the scene is borne by the figures surrounding the newly hewn tomb. The Entombment portrays the removal of Christ’s body, accompanied by a host of grieving figures, including the Virgin Mary. She is overcome with sorrow, providing a focal point for the dramatic grief expressed by the mourners. Dürer utilizes stark contrasts of light and shadow, expertly rendered through the dense application of the burin, emphasizing the gravity of the spiritual event.

This masterwork demonstrates Dürer’s widespread influence on European art. As widely distributed prints, works like this served both private devotion and broader artistic study across the continent, solidifying the artist’s reputation as the foremost graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance. The print is currently held in the prestigious collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving its historical importance. Due to the age and classification of such iconic prints, high-quality reproductions often reside in the public domain, allowing global access to Dürer’s revolutionary contributions to the history of printmaking.