The Entombment

Andrea Briosco, called Riccio

National Gallery of Art

Two men carry a dead body amid a crowd of about thirty people in this rectangular, horizontal panel, which is cast in low and high relief. The dead man’s limp body is carried by one person who supports his knees and legs and the other his torso. The closely knit crowd is made of men and women, who all wear voluminous robes that fall in lively, pleated folds. The group moves to the right, where a woman kneels with one hand held to forehead. Some people swing their arms wide or hold their hands to their heads, crying. A few children are in or near the cave opening to the right. A rocky landscape with spindly trees presses close behind them.