THE ENTOMBMENT OF CHRIST BY CARAVAGGIO

The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio is painted around 1604.

Meant for the chapel of a church, this work is generally considered a "classic" moment in the artist's lifetime, who would soon have to flee from Rome for having killed a man. Unlike Caravaggio's other altarpieces, this one has never been accused of being barely "decorative" or not closely following the evangelical tale. Note the explicit homage to Michelangelo's art in the body of Christ in powerful chiaroscuro, and the expedient of the corner of the tombstone placed obliquely in the foreground to form a sort of pedestal: it's practically a stage-like representation, where the dramatic gestures of the characters' pain  vehemently stand out over the black background. Look how realistically he painted the feet and legs of Nicodemus, the character holding Christ on the right.