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Primary sourcePainting1507

The Deposition

Raphael · 1507

An altarpiece by Raphael showing Christ's body carried to the tomb, painted for the Baglioni family of Perugia.

Raphael painted and signed this altarpiece in 1507, a major commission marking his developing mature style.

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Painting of a dead nude man being carried down from a cross by several robed figures in a hilly landscape with crosses on a distant hill. A woman in red and white supports his upper body, and mourning women gather at right, one kneeling in the foreground.
Raphael, The Deposition (Pala Baglioni), 1507. Galleria Borghese, Rome.

About this source

What it is

This oil painting on wood, signed and dated by Raphael in 1507, shows Christ's body being carried to burial, blending the themes of the Deposition, Lamentation, and Entombment. It is now in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.

Why it matters

Atalanta Baglioni commissioned the work to commemorate her son Grifonetto, killed in a family feud. Raphael spent two years developing the composition through many drawings, drawing on classical sculpture and the work of Michelangelo. It marks a turning point where Raphael moved beyond his teacher Perugino's style toward his own mature manner.

Look closer

  • How do the poses and expressions of the mourners show grief?
  • Why might a grieving mother commission a religious scene to honor a son killed in violence?
  • What classical influences can you spot in how the figures are arranged?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Raphael on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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