Deposizione nel sepolcro (1656)

Guercino (1591-1666)

Deposizione nel sepolcro (The Entombment)
1656
Oil on canvas, 146.7 x 221.2 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

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. (AIC)