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The meaning of the icon of the position in the tomb. Burial of Christ. Gospel events - Gospel places. Guide. In the Catholic Church

The “Entombment” icon depicts one of the episodes of Good Friday, which occurred after the death of the Savior on the cross. Evangelist Luke testifies about these events: “someone named Joseph, a member of the council, a good and truthful man, who did not participate in the council and in their work; from Arimathea, the city of Judea, also expecting the Kingdom of God, came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; and taking it off, he wrapped it in a shroud and laid it in a tomb hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever been laid” (Luke 23:50-53). Evangelist John adds: “Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also came and brought a composition of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred liters. So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in swaddling clothes with spices, as the Jews usually bury” (John 19: 39-40). “The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee also followed Joseph and Nicodemus, and they looked at the tomb and how His body was laid out” (Luke 23:55).

Initially, as noted by N.V. Pokrovsky, the plot of the “Entombment” was depicted in accordance with the Gospel text and reflected the Jewish funeral rite. In the center of the composition were Joseph and Nicodemus, who carried the body of Christ, wrapped in white burial cloths, to the entrance to a burial cave carved out of the rock. In some cases, the Virgin Mary was depicted next to the Savior, walking next to or supporting the head of Jesus Christ. Such a composition can be found in miniatures of the front vaults, for example, in the Codex of Gregory the Theologian, created in the 80s of the 9th century (National Library in Paris, gr.510), or in the paintings of churches, for example, in the Passion Cycle of the Church of the Apostle Andrew on Tresca , executed by Metropolitan John II (Zograph) and his assistant monk Gregory in 1388 - 1389.

Later, a different version of the image of the “Entombment” appeared, in the center of the composition of which there was a cross, and at its foot a coffin with the body of Jesus Christ wrapped in funeral cloths. At the head of the Savior were depicted the weeping Mother of God and John the Theologian, at his feet were Elder Joseph, behind them were three weeping women and Nicodemus. Under the crosshairs were two angels. This option has become widespread in Russian icon painting. For example, the “Entombment” icon from the festive row of the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, made around 1497 (Andrei Rublev Museum). A similar composition in Byzantine monuments is known as “Lamentation of Christ.”

Zhanna Grigorievna Belik,

candidate of art history, senior researcher at the Andrei Rublev Museum, curator of the tempera painting fund.

Olga Evgenievna Savchenko,

Researcher at the Andrei Rublev Museum.

Literature:

1. Pokrovsky N.V. The Gospel in iconographic monuments is predominantly Byzantine and Russian. M., 2001. S. 478-481.

2. Icons of the 13th - 16th centuries in the collection of the Andrei Rublev Museum. M., 2007. Cat. No. 24.

3. Lelekova O.V. Iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, 1497. M., 1988.

"Entombment" (1602-1604), VATICAN PINACOTHECA

At the beginning of the 17th century there were about two thousand artists in Rome. was the brightest and most unusual among them. He worked in the main churches of Rome, and major collectors lined up for his paintings. Caravaggio's special, revolutionary style was highly valued by his rich and noble patrons.

But neither wealth nor fame could turn Caravaggio's head. He, prone to revelry and violence, was attracted by vices, a sense of danger and risk. He preferred dark taverns and brothels to the rich halls of the palazzo. Without hesitation, he exchanged the society of cardinals and aristocrats for dubious friendships with courtesans, gamblers and commoners. It was among them that Caravaggio found models from whom he painted saints for his famous altarpieces.

At this time, Girolamo Vittrice, a representative of a wealthy and influential Roman family, turns to Caravaggio. As the heir of his uncle, Pietro Vittrice, who died in 1600, and fulfilling his will, he commissioned the artist to create an altarpiece for the family chapel in the Chiesa Nuova church. So, in 1604, Caravaggio created the Entombment.

The large-scale painting (3x2m) is striking in its depth and poignancy. The extraordinary composition is complex and multifaceted, it looks like a symphony full of drama. Caravaggio approaches the traditional theme of the burial of Christ in Italian painting in his characteristic revolutionary manner.Never before has Entombment been so realistic!

Nicodemus and John carry the dead body from the slab (the stone on which, according to the tradition of Mediterranean countries, the deceased is prepared for burial by washing and rubbing with myrrh) to the grave. This is a moment of mourning and farewell. Behind are three Marys and three shades of female grief. One of them screams desperately, throwing up her hands. Her figure is so expressive that the woman’s scream can be felt almost physically. The other, Mary Magdalene, is self-absorbed and inconsolable. And the third, the Virgin Mary, mourns her son. She looks almost like an old woman, her grief has aged her so much.

Caravaggio places the figure of the dead Christ in the foreground. The artist depicts with merciless realism how death takes the body of a 33-year-old man. He studied nature in all its manifestations. Caravaggio was interested in death; he examined and memorized the bodies of drowned, murdered and hanged people. Look how lifeless the face of Christ is, how death rises up his hand... how clearly you can feel the weight of the dead body, which is held with such effort by two men.

Working with light and space, Caravaggio fills the Entombment with an atmosphere of mourning, grief and sadness. The grave seems to emanate cold air, and the fleshy cemetery flower enhances the feeling of dampness.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in front of this masterpiece, you will definitely notice how the angle at which the tombstone faces the viewer and the elbow of Nicodemus seem to break through the space. You will have the feeling that Nicodemus and John are conveying their burden, pain and sorrow to the viewer.

"Entombment" by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio cannot be considered without mentioning another Michelangelo, the great Florentine sculptor, artist and architect who worked in Rome.

Two Michelangelos, two geniuses and revolutionaries. Self-absorbed, lonely and humble Buonarroti and half-mad, depraved Caravaggio... it’s hard to imagine two worlds so far from each other!

Surprisingly, Caravaggio, rejecting everyone and everything, not paying attention to anyone, was bewitched by the genius of Buonarroti. He, who had certainly seen both the Pietà and the Sistine Chapel, had an extraordinary appreciation and respect for the art of Michelangelo. He only wants to look at him, only with him he wants to have a dialogue. Under the influence of Michelangelo, Caravaggio created several paintings. But “Entombment” is the deepest and most significant dedication to the great Florentine.

The Pietà, created by Michelangelo in 1499 for a church later destroyed and incorporated into the current St. Peter's Basilica, certainly influenced Caravaggio. He not only saw the statue, but also, most definitely, in the personal library of his patron, Cardinal del Monte, he had the opportunity to study Michelangelo’s work from the “Lives of...” by Giorgio Vasari.

Among the beauties here, in addition to the divinely made robes, the deceased Christ attracts attention; and let it not even occur to anyone to see a naked body made so skillfully, with such beautiful limbs, with the muscles, vessels, and veins dressing its frame so finely trimmed, or to see a dead man more similar to a dead man than this dead man.

Here is the most tender expression of the face, and a certain consistency in the binding and pairing of the arms, and in the connection of the torso and legs, and such a treatment of the blood vessels that you are truly thrown into amazement how the artist’s hand could, in the shortest possible time, so divinely and impeccably create such a wondrous thing; and, of course, it is a miracle that a stone, originally devoid of any form, could ever be brought to that perfection that nature has difficulty imparting to flesh...

Of course, Michelangelo's Pieta and Caravaggio's Entombment are very different and cannot be directly compared. But thousands of invisible threads connect these masterpieces, stitch time and space.

Many icons are important, but images that reflected the events of Holy Week take on a special meaning. One of these images is the “Entombment”.

This icon is known throughout the Orthodox world. Its importance for every believer is difficult to overestimate. It is necessary and possible to pray before her not only on the eve of Easter or during Lent, but also on any other day.

The meaning and history of the icon

At the end of Holy Week, the church celebrates Good Friday - the day of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is the last day on which people saw Jesus still alive. After the death of the Messiah, the disciples mourned him. Next they placed his body in a coffin. This was the last moment when people saw the body of Christ.

What follows are the events described in one of the biblical records of Christ's disciples, when the Messiah descended into hell in order to grant forgiveness to everyone who was there before His coming. The process itself and the fact of the placing of the body of Christ in the tomb are immortalized in icons that depict disciples mourning Christ. The icons depict Joseph, Nicodemus, sometimes even the Mother of God, as well as some disciples. There are a lot of options for the execution of the icon, but its distribution began around the 9th century. In the Middle Ages in Europe, this icon was very common.

What does an icon help with?

This image helps people, first of all, not to forget the terrible events of that time. It reminds us that death is not the end in the global sense.

This icon should be in the home of those who want to become stronger spiritually and strengthen their faith in God. This is a protective icon because it helps to avoid quarrels and protects the house from all sorts of problems. This is a protective icon that transforms people’s lives and protects them from all the worst.

Icon Veneration Day

The day of celebration of the icon is Good Friday every year. Since Easter is constantly shifting, the day of celebration of the icon also changes from year to year. On this day, try to visit the temple. This is a great time for communion and confession.

Prayer before the icon “Entombment”

Priests recommend praying in front of this icon more often. The fact is that this image reflects the last earthly hours of Jesus Christ. Moreover, the soul of Christ at that time was already in hell, where the Messiah saved people from eternal torment, granting forgiveness.

“Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, who accepted the torment of sinners for us. Help us to find faith in You and strengthen it with thoughts about You. Your body, laid in the grave, has disappeared, so let our sins disappear along with our prayers to You, Almighty. Let us sinners atone for all our mistakes today, tomorrow and before death, in order to see Your Kingdom. Let us enter into it, despite all our mistakes and ungodly deeds. Let us remember Your torment, so that Your image may always stand before our eyes. Give us your blessing, Son of God and our Defender, as we pray to You, devoting our souls to prayer and hoping that You will hear us sooner or later. Amen".

Prayers in front of this icon will fill your life with meaning and the light of God. They will remind you that death is not the end, but only the beginning. Do not be afraid to live righteously, because this is the only way through pain and suffering to come to true happiness and knowledge of the meaning of life.

This icon will help you see the world as it is - cruel, but not without miracles. After all, the Resurrection of the Lord is a miracle. Read prayers in front of this icon and visit churches that have it. Fortunately, it is in almost all Orthodox churches. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

05.04.2018 05:32

The icon “Christ Pantocrator” is the oldest image of Christ, which has miraculous power, heals and helps believers.

Many icons are important, but images that reflected the events of Holy Week take on a special meaning. One of these images is the “Entombment”.

1. The meaning and history of the icon

2. What does an icon help with?

This image helps people, first of all, not to forget the terrible events of that time. It reminds us that death is not the end in the global sense.

3. Day of Veneration of the Icon