BURIAL is based on a sketch Swanson drew in 1978 of a painting he saw in Rotterdam. He was moved by the painting portraying the entombment of Christ. He did not record the artist’s name or details of the artwork. The humanity of the figures and the care and concern that was shown for the body of Christ, inspired him. He wanted to depict a stillness and sorrow on the day Christ was taken down from the cross and the contemplation of each figure, trying to understand the great tragedy of Christ’s death.
Swanson developed the small pencil sketch into a finished painting over the winter of 2011/2012. He slowly added colors and created forms from rough suggested shapes. Having no reference to the original painting, he developed a dramatic scene remembering themes which originally inspired him. The painting became a personal journey.
