The Entombment 1612

Peter Paul Reubens made this oil on panel painting, ‘The Entombment’, sometime in the early 17th century. This painting depicts the body of Christ being lowered into his tomb. But it’s not just a religious scene; it's a product of its time. Flanders, now part of Belgium, was deeply Catholic. Commissioned by a church or wealthy patron, images like these reinforced religious doctrine. The intense emotion and dynamic composition were hallmarks of the Baroque style, meant to engage viewers and inspire devotion. The figures are idealized, yet Rubens grounds them in a palpable reality. To truly understand this work, we delve into archives, theological texts, and studies of patronage. The historian's role is to reveal how art is always entwined with the social and institutional frameworks of its creation. The art of the past is the raw material for the history of the present.