Caravaggio (1603 to 04). Entombment [oil on canvs]. Musei Vaticani, Pinacoteca, Rome.

This is a perceptual work of rich naturalism. Pictorial movement and stability are equivalent; this does not stabilize, it intensifies the drama established by value. For all of this tension, I believe Caravaggio has calibrated his employment of formal elements to perfection to, above all, draw an emotional investment from the observer.

Value contrasts don’t only develop surfaces and forms, their mild versus stark juxtapositions establish figures in compressed and fully developed space. Value, value, value. The master’s multi-purposed employment of value, in addition to crystallizing depth, results in possibly the finest example of a paced pattern supporting a conceptual message I can think of.

This composition is asymmetrically balanced verging on unbalanced due to the unmistakable downward energy Caravaggio has trapped within the canvas. Even its orientation supports this impression. The “substantialness” of the figures and their rich development stabilize this movement.

The insights of Caravaggio and the visual expression style he defined dictate that value be the foremost element to be analyzed in all of his work. In this case, he has used value to establish ground-subject relationships above and beyond his characteristic development of forms and surfaces. The illuminated, high-key drama plays out against a formless, dense mass of space. He has created a second layer of tension in the conflict between the two value keys.

Equal rich embellishment is distributed across the subject matter. The relatively high-key formatting of Christ’s figure and his bracketing by abrupt color and value changes places most of this work’s pictorial energy on him. In addition, the arrangement of shapes, emphasized by the orientation of the canvas, abruptly stops at his form.

One of the strongest measures used to establish this work’s undeniable impact is it’s placement of the observer. First, she or he is referenced by the man supporting Christ’s lower body. This forces the observer to participate, and realize they are within the pit where the subject’s body will be lowered.