The Entombment, 1963,1216.1

This preparatory drawing for the Baglioni Altarpiece focuses on the physical exertion and weight of the lifeless body. Detailed cross-hatching defines the musculature of the bearers in the foreground, while the grieving figures in the background, including the Virgin Mary, are sketched with lighter, more fluid lines. The composition captures the intense human emotion and physical realism that marked the artist's mature style.

This work exemplifies the Renaissance syncretism of classical antiquity and Christian theology, as the composition is modeled after Roman sarcophagi depicting the 'Death of Meleager.' This reuse of pagan forms for sacred subjects reflects the Neoplatonic belief in a universal truth underlying different historical traditions, an idea central to the intellectual circles of the High Renaissance.