Altar polyptych of San Bartolomeo, Bergamo, foot plate: Entombment 1516

Editor: Right now, we're standing in front of "Entombment," which forms the foot plate of Lorenzo Lotto’s "Altar Polyptych of San Bartolomeo, Bergamo," painted around 1516. It's oil on wood. Looking at this, I'm struck by the almost frantic energy amidst the solemnity. The faces seem strained, the colors… a bit muddied. What's your initial reaction to it? Curator: You know, it *does* have this wonderfully raw emotional current, doesn't it? Like witnessing something too intimate, too soon. I imagine Lotto, ever the sensitive soul, trying to capture that dizzying space between life and…well, not-life. Forget idealized serenity; he offers us a scene vibrating with real grief, wouldn't you agree? The colours enhance this effect, casting it almost like a dream or flashback. And it’s important to remember this isn’t some stand-alone piece. It’s part of a polyptych, informing how we receive the figures, light and expressions. Don't you find it interesting how such raw humanity is on display for such a spiritual occasion? Editor: That's a great point. The faces, now that you mention it, they're not saintly archetypes. They're... individuals. Did Lotto have a particular goal when highlighting emotion and this level of individualized humanity? Curator: I think Lotto was wrestling with the earthly, almost visceral reality of faith, in a time where so much religious art was quite formal, almost untouchable. This humanism—this embrace of feeling—that was truly shaking things up. Almost like a Renaissance Michelangelo. Editor: This perspective brings forward an incredible approach from Lotto to convey a real and honest message. Curator: Yes. We need to come away and ask ourselves, why does death make us, the viewer, so uncomfortable?