Joseph sold to Potiphar

Joseph Sold to Potiphar was painted around 1515-18 as part of a series of panels depicting the story of Joseph for the Borgherini bedchamber, one of the most celebrated decorative ensembles of the Florentine Renaissance. Pontormo worked alongside Andrea del Sarto, Granacci, and Bacchiacca on the project, each contributing panels that together created a continuous narrative of the biblical patriarch's life. trained by Leonardo and Andrea del Sarto, developed radically original Mannerist idiom in Florence.

The panel reveals Pontormo's early mastery of narrative composition, with multiple episodes from the Joseph story arranged in a continuous spatial setting. The dynamic figure poses and expressive gestures already show his departure from the calm equilibrium of High Renaissance composition.