Entombment 

Samuel van Hoogstraten captured the entombment in this delicate sketch now at the Städel Museum. See how the prone body of Christ is centrally staged, surrounded by mourners, each figure a testament to grief. Consider the kneeling figure in the foreground, her posture a universal symbol of lament. The gesture of kneeling, seen here in the context of Christian mourning, echoes through time. We see it in ancient Egyptian depictions of supplication to the gods, and later, in Renaissance paintings of penitent saints. In each instance, the bent knee speaks of submission, grief, and a yearning for solace. The repetition of such motifs across cultures is no mere coincidence; it speaks to a collective human psyche. The way the artist has rendered the composition engages our subconscious, triggering a visceral understanding of loss. This image reminds us that the past is never truly gone; it resurfaces, evolves, and echoes in the art of each new age.