Why did Michelangelo leave this painting unfinished? | The Entombment | National Gallery

I have an artist friend (painter and draughtsman) who insists that no picture is ever completely finished, that any artist can think of ways to further work out a work. The artist agrees to walk away from a work, rather than ever truly finishing it.

Love this presentation!

Congratulations to The National Gallery for displaying such a magnificent unfinished artwork by the great Michelangelo so beautifully!! He was such a great master of the human form that there is so much to learn even from his unfinished works!! His artworks are a great source of inspiration even today to figurative artists because nobody studied and mastered the human anatomy so magnificently as the divine Michelangelo!! Many, many thanks to The National Gallery for explaining this outstanding masterpiece so beautifully!!🙏🙏🫡🫡👏👏❤️❤️

` Thank you so much for the wonderful presentation; very educative. 🌹🌺

I know it is my modern eyes filling out the unfinished arm, but I can't help but see Mary Magdalene looking down at a cell phone in her hand.

More of this please!

Like watching this presentation

So very interesting. Thank you.

The Best of Social Media particularly on this Maundy Thursday 2024….as foot washing, wine and bread will be shared all over the world…

Thank you for this video! I remember attending some years ago and still have the exhibition catalogue discussing these 2 paintings. Of the 2 drawings the Mary Magdalene is interesting and curious as it is on pink paper and it is unique among Michelangelo's surviving drawings. Because of this it was not always considered to be by Michelangelo. I've read that the object in her hand can either be interpreted as a crown of thorns or a mirror- also an attribute . I would love to know your opinions regarding these issues.

Gorgeous

He truly was a master.

The outline of the draughtsmanship is outstanding, extremely precise and sharp despite facial expressions are milder compared to other of his paintings which make me always think how we can partially find the hand of someone else beside him.. Anyway amazing painting

As a member of the viewing public, “The Entombment” has always made me wonder about what I see, namely, the “large Figure at the right hand side of “the partial view of the head of a smiling black face” as part of the backside of the figure in black below the white belt. The head of the frontal “ black face with a smile” seems to be facing another light shaded figure with the back of its head to the viewer. It is always amazing how “one master artist” could create something so intriguing even after seven hundred years of the creation of his masterpiece. MAH24

"Off-ten" twice. But the rest is great and much appreciated. Thank you.

grandes pre curcores investgasion de grandes autores de la plastica internacional

I’ve not come across many ‘nude’ Christ figures in religious art, did attitudes change after this period or was this unusual at the time?

That's why I love Michelangelo, although I've seen once that. This depiction seems really person who Jesus is.

I don't think Leonardo's comments mean exactly what she thinks it means. There's another quote by Leonardo which I believe could easily contradict that notion that he would be "fine" with unfinished works on display. Leonardo urges paiters to give their best because, unlike musicians (no records at the time), their artwork will perdure for eternity, for all to judge. Once it's out there, there is no pulling it back in.

wasn't it LdV who said "a composition is never finished , just abandoned"?