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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1500-1501

The Entombment

Michelangelo · c. 1500-1501

An unfinished oil painting attributed to Michelangelo, showing the burial of Christ, now in London's National Gallery.

An unfinished altarpiece attributed to Michelangelo, showing his painting technique and an abandoned commission.

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Painting of the Entombment: a nude male body with a pale loincloth is being lowered by figures. A woman in a red dress holds his arm, an older bearded man supports the body from behind, and two women in green and pink stand at right, while a kneeling woman in pink sits at lower left.
Attributed to Michelangelo, The Entombment, c. 1500-1501. National Gallery, London.

About this source

What it is

This unfinished oil-on-panel painting, generally attributed to Michelangelo, dates to around 1500–1501. It shows the burial of Jesus, with his naked body carried toward a sepulchre by several figures. Documents suggest it may be the altarpiece Michelangelo was commissioned to paint for a chapel in Rome but never finished, instead returning the payment. It is now in the National Gallery, London.

Why it matters

Because it was left incomplete, the painting reveals Michelangelo's working method, building up areas in turn rather than sketching the whole composition first, unlike contemporaries such as Raphael or Leonardo. Its unfinished state, possibly due to his departure to secure marble for his David, offers a rare glimpse into an artist's process rather than a polished final result.

Look closer

  • Which parts of the painting look unfinished, and what does that tell you about how Michelangelo worked?
  • Why might Michelangelo have left this commission unfinished and given back the payment?
  • How does the unusual upright pose of Christ's body differ from other Entombment paintings you may know?

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

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