Joseph Revealing Himself to His Brothers

Pontormo completed this panel around 1516 as part of the celebrated Borgherini cycle depicting scenes from the life of Joseph. The painting shows the dramatic moment when Joseph, now a powerful Egyptian official, reveals his true identity to the brothers who had sold him into slavery years before. Their father Jacob believed Joseph dead, and this reunion would ultimately bring the entire family to Egypt.

The work belongs to a unique decorative ensemble commissioned by Salvi Borgherini for his son Pierfrancesco's bridal chamber in Florence. Several painters contributed to the cycle, including Andrea del Sarto, Granacci, and Bacchiacca, but Pontormo's panels are considered the most innovative. The crowded composition, artificial colors, and elongated figures mark the transition from High Renaissance to Mannerism.

It now hangs at the National Gallery in London, along with Pontormo's other Joseph panels. The Borgherini paintings were originally installed as decorative panels in wooden furniture, making their preservation as individual works notable.