Italian School; c. 1600.

Italian School; c. 1600.
"Holy Burial".
Oil on copper.
Preserves old frame of the twentieth century.
Measurements: 49 x 38 cm; 60 x 52,5 cm (frame).
The painting represents the deposition of Christ in the sepulcher, the scene is developed in a space marked by the architecture in which the artist plays extensively with the light, since while the left zone is illuminated by a vain, the right is completely in half-light. According to the Gospel story, they were in a cave, the place where Jesus was buried, according to Jewish tradition. In the center, dominating the scene, the tomb is filled with a multitude of figures, among which the figure of Jesus, already dead, with pearly skin, stands out. The body of Jesus is represented practically naked, covered only by the "perizonium" or cloth of purity, but on the sheet that has served to take him down from the cross and now serves as a shroud. Joseph of Arimathea, the rich man who gave up his tomb to bury Jesus, according to the Gospels, holds Christ by the shoulders, while behind in the background can be seen the figure of St. John weeping. Nicodemus, Pharisee and "Jewish leader" according to the text of St. John, holds him by the feet. In addition, we can identify in a deep background the three Marys, contemplated with expressions of pain as Christ is being buried and finally, to the right of Christ holding his hand Mary Magdalene, identified by her long hair and by the small perfume holder located in the foreground, typical of the iconography.
Aesthetically the work is ascribed to the aesthetics of the Italian school, specifically to the classicism typical of northern Italy. The monumental figures and the volume of the bodies bring us closer to that style that starts from an idea of purity typical of classicism, although it should be noted that the image presents a transitional style, as it retains the lengthening of the canon and some theatricality in some figures reminiscent of a taste of mannerist character, as well as the color range used by the artist who shows an interest in shades of iridescence.