The Entombment of Christ by Delacroix in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, June 2010

The Entombment of Christ
1848
Eugène Delacroix, French, 1798–1863

Dimensions: 162.6 x 132.1 cm (64 x 52 in.)

Medium or Technique: Oil on canvas

Classification: Paintings
Type: Religious - New Testament

Accession Number: 96.21

The desolation of the mourners gathered around the body of Christ is intensified by the somber landscape, with three crosses dimly visible in the background. Christ's stark white burial shroud and Saint John's scarlet cloak glow against the dark background, lending force and focus to the scene. The emotional intensity, expressive brushwork, and resonant color of Delacroix's work had a profound influence on later painters. Some years after this picture was painted, the artist observed: "The details are, generally speaking, mediocre and scarcely bear close inspection. On the other hand, the whole arouses an emotion that astonishes even me."

Text from: www.mfa.org/collections/object/the-entombment-of-christ-3...