The Entombment (Stabat Mater Prayer), from a Book of Hours by Jean Colombe

The Entombment (Stabat Mater Prayer), from a Book of Hours c. 1480

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, tempera, painting, print, ink
Dimensions
41 × 83 mm
Location
The Art Institute of Chicago
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

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drawing

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medieval

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narrative-art

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tempera

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painting

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print

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gothic

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figuration

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ink

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france

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line

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watercolour illustration

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history-painting

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international-gothic

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miniature

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watercolor

About this artwork

Jean Colombe painted "The Entombment" in the late 15th century in this small, but deeply resonant miniature from a Book of Hours. Here, Christ is shown laid in his tomb, mourned by his mother and followers, a scene laden with symbols of grief, faith, and redemption. Note how this scene echoes across cultures and eras; the mourning mother, for example, can be traced back to ancient depictions of Mater Dolorosa, her sorrow a universal language of loss. Her gesture, repeated by the other figures surrounding Christ's body, links them in shared misery. The ladder behind the body, a stark reminder of the crucifixion, becomes a leitmotif. We see it repurposed in countless iterations of religious suffering. The scene’s emotional power lies in its capacity to evoke profound feelings of empathy and sorrow. The symbols are not fixed; they are in constant flux, reappearing and evolving across time. This miniature is a testament to the enduring power of images to shape our collective memory.

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