Entombment of Christ, whose chest is grasped by Joseph of Arimathea, with two kneeling and two standing female mourners at left and crown of thorns at bottom right 1543

Enea Vico created this engraving, “Entombment of Christ” in Italy in the mid-16th century, after a design by Raphael. Here, the body of Christ is being prepared for burial, mourned by his followers. In Renaissance Italy, images of Christian subjects played a key role in both public and private devotion. Engravings like this one, which could be produced in multiples, made religious imagery accessible to a wider audience. The print includes the inscription “Raphael Vrb. Inv.”, meaning that Vico’s composition is based on a design or painting by the celebrated Renaissance painter Raphael. Prints like this one thus served as an important means of circulating the designs of leading artists. To understand the significance of this work, historians consult a range of sources: surviving drawings, letters, and inventories can shed light on artistic practices and the circulation of images in 16th-century Italy. Such research allows us to understand the dynamic social and institutional contexts that gave meaning to works of art.