On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00440
- Author
- Titian [Vecellio di Gregorio Tiziano] (Italian)
- Title
- The Burial of Christ
- Chronology
- 1559
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 136 cm x 174,5 cm x 2,3 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- No
- Entrance
- COLECCION REAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and
the Virgin Mary place Christ in the
tomb offered by the first. They are
watched by Mary Magdalene and Saint
John the Evangelist, which is a
slight variation on the New
Testament story (Matthew 28, 57-61;
Mark 15, 42-47; Luke 23, 50-55;
John 19, 38-42).
Another work on the same subject
(P441) in the Prado was given by
the Senate of Venice to Antonio
Pérez, Secretary to the King, in
1572.
The differences in quality between
the two versions, which is the
result of a different degree of
direct participation by the artist,
can be seen in the figure of
Christ, in the scorzo of the
Virgin, and in the greater detail
visible in the earlier work.
This work was commissioned by
Felipe II (1556-1598) in July 1559
and was installed in the Old Church
of the Monastery of El Escorial
that same year. From there, it
entered the Prado Museum Collection
in 1837.
