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Notes
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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.
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
