[1] Under the influence of Michelangelo, El Greco created a painting that in essence was Italian, with a naturalistic style, monumental figures, and a Roman school palette.

[3] On the painting Virgin Mary floats upward which symbolizes her purity, while apostles gathered around her empty tomb express amazement and concern.

[6] By the end of the Middle Ages, large and crowded altarpieces gave the artist the opportunity to show his virtuosity in composition, coloring and figure poses.

[5] The painting was commissioned for the convent church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo by Don Diego de Castilla in 1577.

In 1904, the American painter Mary Cassatt persuaded the renowned Parisian art dealer Paul Durand–Ruel to purchase the painting, with the financing provided by H. O. Havemeyer.