The Deposition or Descent from the Cross, oil on wood, 123 x 76 in.
My favorite painting?
Some of you may ask, “Yves who is your favorite painter… and your favorite painting?” I have many. But today, my answer would be Pontormo and his famous Deposition. I do not know why. I just feel intensely in front of this work. It must be the grief, the many emotions, the fantastic colors, the unusual composition. There are no references to the natural world, there is no need for the cross, we are indeed in another world. I also like this work because Pontormo was one of the Mannerist painters, who tired by the same modes of representation of the Renaissance, broke with many conventional rules and arrived to a new art concept. Personally, I hate repetition, I am always looking for something new.
Where is the painting? In the church of Santa Felicita in Florence, just across the Ponte Vecchio (south side). On our day visit to Florence during Studio Italia, we always stop at this small church, put our one euro in the lighting machine and everyone is at awe. And just next to it, Agnolo Bronzino’s St-Matthew medallion, also of great expression. And then the light turns off and we rush back to the train station to catch our train to go back home. Anyway, he is one of my favorites along with Beccafumi (ah!!!!), Primaticcio (OMG), Andrea del Sarto (big sigh). But I also love Pollock, Rothko, Picasso, Friedrich, Turner…
Bronzino, St. Matthew, (1525), wood, dia 70 cm
Thank you for sharing this painting. If I ever get back to Florence I will go for a look. I was in FLorence last year painting with Alvaro Castagnet. (Or should I say trying to paint) A beautiful city.
My pleasure.
I love this painting. Very appropriate seeing it is Easter too. I don’t think we saw it though when we were in Tuscany. If we did I apologise I can’t remember.