Curatorial Notes
After the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea obtained permission to bury Christ’s body in Joseph’s own tomb. Aside from an amorphous, cloudy sky, Savoldo eliminated the background entirely and reduced the narrative to two monumental figures, brought to the front of the picture plane. These qualities surely had a great impact on Caravaggio, who initially trained in Northern Italy, where Savoldo spent his career. This work originally hung over a large altarpiece, which explains the unusual perspective, the panel’s horizontal shape, and the figures’ position above the viewer.
Artwork Identification
Title Christ with Joseph of Arimathea
Title (PT) Cristo com José de Arimatéia
Title (ES) Cristo con José de Arimatea
Artist Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo
Artist Bio Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo (Italian, c. 1480–after 1548)
Date c. 1525
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Cleveland Museum of Art
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
