Jesus is laid in the tomb
- Artist: Bruce Onobrakpeya
- Date: 1969
- Medium: Linocut on paper
- Dimensions: image: 245 x 590 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Jesus is laid in the tomb” by Bruce Onobrakpeya. It’s one of fourteen linocut prints that make up his 1969 series “The Fourteen Stations of the Cross.” The image captures the final moment of Jesus’ earthly journey, but it’s framed in an unmistakably Nigerian setting. The apostles are decked in vivid Adire patterns, while the men restraining Jesus wear colonial‑era police uniforms, hinting at the tension of the era. Onobrakpeya’s palette is dominated by blues and greens with accents of yellow and orange, and the composition is built around geometric shapes that echo traditional Nigerian textiles and architecture.
Created just after Nigeria’s independence and during the Biafran War, the series reflects the artist’s experience of late colonial influence and his desire to blend Christian narrative with Yoruba visual culture. Though individual prints are valuable on their own, they were originally intended to be viewed as a complete set, each moment linked in a dramatic, culturally resonant narrative.
See it in person
Jesus is laid in the tomb is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
