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A Discussion

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Two men, in robes of icy blue and pink, are engaged in a heated discussion, their expressive hands emphasising their strenuously argued points. They are watched by two bearded men; another, in green, looks at the bare wall in the background. The subject of the painting is unclear. It was once identified as Herod questioning the Three Kings, but none of the figures is shown with a king’s crown or sceptre and there is no other evidence to suggest who they might be. The painting is more likely to show saints or prophets in debate, which was a popular motif in Florentine art during the early sixteenth century. With its cool bright colours, expansive drapery and exaggerated dynamic poses, the painting is typical of the style of the Florentine Mannerist artist Pontormo.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A Discussion

Date

probably 1560s

Medium

Oil on canvas transferred from wood

Measurements

H 35.2 x W 24.8 cm

Accession number

NG3941

Acquisition method

Mond Bequest, 1924

Work type

Painting

Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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