The Supper in Emmaus by Pontormo
Video in Italian | The experience of quarantine to escape the 1523 plague of Florence as a moment of intense creativity for the artist
In order to escape the plague of 1523, Pontormo took refuge in the Galluzzo Charterhouse on the outskirts of Florence. Quarantine can become a precious moment of creation. On that occasion, Pontormo frescoed the lunettes of the Great Cloister with scenes from the Passion of Christ, which were strongly criticized by Vasari. Rather, he highly praised The Supper in Emmaus, painted for the monastery's guest house. The altarpiece depicts the revelation of risen Christ to the Apostles. A domestic interior setting, made of everyday objects, with pets crouched on the ground that add intimacy to the whole scene.
The divine eye at the top of the painting was added probably in the 18th century.
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