The Seilern Triptych - The Entombment
- Artist: Robert Campin
- Date: c. 1425
- Medium: oil paint and goldleaf on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “The Seilern Triptych – The Entombment” by Robert Campin. Painted around 1425, it’s a true milestone of early Northern European art, largely because Campin was one of the first to use oil paint. Compared with the older egg‑yolk tempera, oil lets the colors stay transparent and dry slowly, so the artist could layer light and shadow until the figures look almost three‑dimensional.
The central panel shows Christ’s burial after the crucifixion, a solemn scene that anchors the whole work. On the right, the Resurrection bursts into life, a dramatic contrast that shows the triumph of faith. In the left wing, an unidentified man kneels in quiet prayer; he likely commissioned the piece for personal devotion. The backdrop is lavish, with raised motifs in gold leaf that glitter against symbolic plants—like a grapevine in the center, hinting at the blood‑laden wine of Christ’s sacrifice. The combination of oil, gold leaf, and careful symbolism makes this triptych a timeless, almost immediate visual story.
See it in person
The Seilern Triptych - The Entombment hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
