The Entombment

Painted around 1320, this Entombment belongs to Giotto's late career when he was the most celebrated artist in Italy, heading a large and productive workshop in Florence. The subject of Christ's burial was central to Giotto's narrative approach, as seen in his earlier treatment at the Arena Chapel, where his depiction of grief transformed religious painting through its raw emotional intensity. The Gothic era in European painting (c.1200-1400) was dominated by devotional works on gold ground, combining Byzantine formalism with growing Gothic naturalism.

The composition demonstrates Giotto's mastery of dramatic narrative, with mourning figures arranged to create a powerful diagonal movement toward the body of Christ. Heavy, sculptural drapery folds reinforce the gravity of the scene.