1616, Peter Paul Rubens, The Entombment of Christ -- Courtauld Gallery (London)
From the museum label: This unusually large oil sketch was probably made in preparation for an altarpiece that was never completed. Characterised by dramatic lighting, it depicts a group of mourners struggling to lower Christ's limp body into his tomb. Peter Paul Rubens based the composition on an altarpiece by the Italian artist Caravaggio, a work he knew well from his earlier stay in Rome. Rubens often looked to other artists for inspiration in the creation of his own paintings. This was a common practice at the time. Far from being mere imitation, it showed knowledge of important works of the past and built on them to produce new inventions.
1616, Peter Paul Rubens, The Entombment of Christ -- Courtauld Gallery (London)
From the museum label: This unusually large oil sketch was probably made in preparation for an altarpiece that was never completed. Characterised by dramatic lighting, it depicts a group of mourners struggling to lower Christ's limp body into his tomb. Peter Paul Rubens based the composition on an altarpiece by the Italian artist Caravaggio, a work he knew well from his earlier stay in Rome. Rubens often looked to other artists for inspiration in the creation of his own paintings. This was a common practice at the time. Far from being mere imitation, it showed knowledge of important works of the past and built on them to produce new inventions.