Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee

This Christ in the House of Simon the Pharisee, painted around 1498, now in the National Gallery of Ireland, depicts the dramatic moment when Mary Magdalene anointed Christ's feet. Signorelli places the biblical narrative in a richly detailed architectural setting of classical inspiration. Luca Signorelli was celebrated for his muscular treatment of the male nude in complex narrative scenes, anticipating Michelangelo in his emphasis on anatomy and foreshortening.

The architectural setting provides a rational spatial framework for the multi-figure narrative. Signorelli's characteristic emphasis on muscular anatomy is evident in the exposed limbs of the figures, rendered with sculptural precision.