Description
: West Façade, Right Frieze, Life of Christ, Left Side of Right Portal
34: The Entombment of Christ
(Matthew 27:53-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-55; John 19:38-42)
Four men prepare the body of Christ for burial.
A sarcophagus is at the bottom of the composition, parallel with the plane of the capital face. On its sides are three holes. At the far left and right of this scene, bearded men are lowering the body of Christ supported on a large piece of cloth into the tomb. His body has no halo and his eyes are closed. Two other bearded men stand behind the tomb. The man at right adjusts the cloth around the lower part of Christ’s body. According to Heimann, the man at left is anointing the body of Christ and once probably held a flask or jar. She says that the combination of anointing with the Entombment is new to the west and that this iconography indicates Byzantine influence. (Heimann, p. 87)
Compare with panel 27 of the Passion Typological Window (Delaporte no. 59, Deremble-Manhes no. 37) and with panel 9 of The Passion Window (Delaporte no. 3, Deremble-Manhes no. 51). There are several other entombment and burial scenes of other people, as well.
At left are figures from:
33: The Entry into Jerusalem.
At right are figures from:
35: The Holy Women at the Tomb.
Subject
Cathédrale de Chartres--Pictorial works.;Church decoration and ornament--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.;Church architecture--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.;Christian art and symbolism--France--Chartres--Medieval, 500-1500--Pictorial works.
