Entombment

Colijn de Coter is situated directly in the tradition of the Flemish primitives, and especially in that of his Brussels predecessor Rogier van der Weyden. His Entombment is clearly indebted to Van der Weyden’s compositional schemes. Close to the edge of the painting, the deceased Christ is being laid in his tomb. The body is tilted towards the viewer, so that it is clearly visible. The clenched fingers indicate the pain he suffered. The faces of the onlookers show a mixture of grief and resignation. Behind them, the ladder refers to the cross from which Christ’s body was taken down. Like the uniform, dark background, the addition of this element, which was not present in the tomb, contributes to the timelessness of the scene. The depiction invites contemplation and can therefore be regarded as an Andachtsbild. De Coter’s recognisable style was greatly admired – at least on a regional level.