Study for Christ in The Entombment 1500 - 1600

Bartolomeo Neroni, also known as Il Riccio, made this study for Christ in the Entombment sometime in the 16th century, using pen and brown ink, with brown wash, over traces of black chalk on laid paper. Here, the material of paper offers a surface for rapid ideation; the artist’s pen swiftly capturing the weight and form of Christ’s body. Brown ink, applied in layers as a wash, subtly models the figure, lending depth to the composition. We get a sense of the artist’s hand at work, as he explores the emotional and physical burden of the Entombment. While Neroni’s finished painting would have aimed for a sense of completion, this study reveals the labor involved in its making, connecting it to the broader social context of artistic production during the Renaissance. By focusing on Neroni’s process, we appreciate how this study, seemingly a preliminary step, embodies the very essence of artistic creativity, defying strict categorization.