William Blake, The Body of Christ Borne to the Tomb c.1799-1800
Display caption
This tempera is very well preserved, mainly because it was painted on thin linen canvas, stuck onto thin cardboard. This is stiff enough to reduce the cracking that develops on flexible canvas. It also made it unnecessaryto add the animal glue lining which has spoilt the opaque white effect of Blake's chalk preparatory layer in many temperas. As a result, Blake's delicate painted details can still be seen as he intended.
This is the only Blake tempera in this room in a frame dating from the time it was painted. Blake may have chosen the frame design himself.
August 2004
Other works of art you may be interested in
Find similar artworks
Artist
William Blake
(183)
Category
Painting
(5,322)
Decade
1790-9
(4,038)
Subject
architecture
(30,435)
objects
(12,243)
clothing and personal effects
(3,860)
staff
(109)
religious and ceremonial
(807)
cross
(98)
vessels and containers
(1,607)
urn
(37)
people
(21,186)
places
(23,428)
cities, towns, villages (non-UK)
(9,203)
countries and continents
(12,032)
Israel
(60)
religion and belief
(2,375)
Bible: New Testament
(394)
Christ
(193)
Entombment
(6)
Saints
(156)
society
(14,246)
birth to death
(658)