Entombment

This pen-and-ink study shows two men straining under the weight of a body held in a burial shroud while several women look on in grief. The drawing emphasizes the physical tension of the carriers and the anatomical realism of the deceased figure. Light cross-hatching is used to define the musculature of the figures and the folds of their garments.

As a preparatory drawing for the Baglioni Altarpiece, this work reflects the Renaissance synthesis of Christian narrative with the Neoplatonic concept of 'mors philosophica' (philosophical death). The composition's focus on the heavy, earthly vessel of the body contrasting with the grieving spirit aligns with the period's interest in the soul's liberation from the material world.