Entombment 1513 - 1524

Andrea Riccio, from Padua in Italy, made this bronze relief of the Entombment sometime in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. The scene depicts the body of Christ being placed in its tomb. Riccio was working during a period of intense artistic and intellectual ferment. Padua, then part of the Venetian Republic, was a center for the study of classical antiquity. We can see the influence of ancient Roman art in Riccio's emphasis on the muscular bodies and draped clothing of the figures. It also reflects changing religious attitudes during the Renaissance, with a greater emphasis on personal piety and emotional expression. The work’s small scale suggests that it was intended for private devotion, perhaps within the domestic setting of a wealthy Paduan family. By studying Riccio's world, we come to see how a work like this reflects the convergence of artistic traditions, religious sensibilities, and social practices that define its own historical moment.