Graflegging van Christus - Johannes de Mare

A detailed 1849 engraving by Johannes de Mare, reproducing Titian's Entombment of Christ with technical precision and dramatic tonal depth.

This fine art print is a reproduction of an etching by the Dutch engraver Johannes de Mare, completed in 1849. The work is a technical interpretation of Titian’s famous painting, The Entombment of Christ, which resides in the collection of the Musée du Louvre. De Mare’s print demonstrates the high level of skill required for nineteenth-century reproductive engraving, capturing the dramatic chiaroscuro and emotional weight of the original Venetian masterpiece.

The composition focuses on the solemn moment as the body of Christ is lowered into the tomb. The figures are arranged in a tight, sculptural group, their physical exertion and grief rendered through precise line work and varied tonal density. The central figure of Christ is supported by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, while the Virgin Mary and other mourners observe from the left. The background remains relatively sparse, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the interaction between the figures and the heavy, tactile quality of the drapery.

De Mare’s work was produced under the patronage of King William II of the Netherlands, a detail noted in the inscription at the base of the print. The engraving process allows for a distinct clarity in the musculature and facial expressions, translating the painterly qualities of Titian’s oil work into a monochromatic medium. This print serves as a record of the nineteenth-century practice of disseminating European masterworks through high-quality printmaking. It is a study in both technical precision and the enduring appeal of Renaissance iconography in the Victorian era. The print maintains the sombre, reflective mood of the original scene, offering a clear view of the complex anatomical arrangements and the interplay of light and shadow that define the composition.