The first mention of the painting is in the manuscript of Pietro Lamo's Graticola di Bologna, dating to around 1560 and stating it was in the house of the Ercolani counts.

It was seen in Bologna at the end of the 16th century by cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, who paid a very high price to buy it.

[2] It later passed from the Alobrandini collection to that of Ludovico Ludovisi, as shown by (for example) a postscript to Vasari's Lives by Lelio Guidiccioni: "at present the Most Illustrious Lodovisio has four other marvellous works in one room, seen by me on 7 March 1621".

Little more than ten years later Prince Niccolò Ludovisi - "in the necessity of anguish" - decided to curry favour with Philip IV of Spain by giving him the best works from his collection.

The scene is taken from events narrated near the end of the Gospel of John, in which Mary Magdalene returns to Jesus' tomb after having found the body missing.

And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

The style of the body and clothing of Christ bear the influence of Greek sculpture common to Renaissance art.

The figure in general features resembles the Christ type which is illustrated in Correggio's Ecce Homo.

The body sways slightly to one side, as if shrinking from Mary's touch, and he holds his right hand outstretched, keeping her away.

[6] Estelle May Hurll writes: "In painting the figure of the risen Christ the old masters were accustomed to give prominence to the nail prints in hands and feet, and the wound in his side.