The Entombment before 1509

Lucas Cranach the Elder created this woodcut, "The Entombment," capturing the somber moment after Christ’s crucifixion. The mourners cradle Christ's lifeless body, preparing to lay him in the tomb. Central to the scene is the motif of lamentation, a visual language echoing across cultures and epochs. Consider the Weeping Women; their sorrow mirrors figures from ancient Greek tragedies, their gestures of mourning transcending time. We find echoes in the Renaissance "Pieta," yet here, Cranach infuses the scene with a distinct Northern sensibility. The grief is palpable; the figures are not idealized, but raw with human emotion. This motif of mourning reminds us of the cyclical nature of human experience; birth, death, and renewal. The image taps into our collective memory of loss and grief, engaging us on a subconscious level. It is a symbol that, despite changing forms, persists through history, continually reborn in new contexts.