Alessandra VAROTARI, IL PADOVANINO (1588-1649) - Joseph and Potiphar's wife

Alessandro VAROTARI, called Il PADOVAVINO
(Padua, 1588 - Venice, 1649)
Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife
Black chalk, pen and brown ink - 16 x 15 cm

Attribution confirmed by professor Bert Meijer

Padovanino shows the scene at its climax: Potiphar's wife, her bosom exposed to the viewer, grabs Joseph's garment to pull him into her bed as he attempts to flee. The pen, bold and lively, accentuates the contortions of the two characters, intertwined with the movements of the curtains and the toga. This high degree of dynamism in rendering, combined with the simplified forms of the figures, gives the drawing a very modern feel (let's dare say this anachronism!).