Artwork
The Story of Joseph, II
The Story of Joseph, II is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Bartolomeo di Giovanni. It dates from 1494 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1494, *The Story of Joseph, II* is a tempera panel by Florentine painter Bartolomeo di Giovanni.
Created in 1494, *The Story of Joseph, II* is a tempera panel by Florentine painter Bartolomeo di Giovanni. The composition presents a bustling narrative set within an open landscape, framed by architectural arches and populated by numerous figures and animals, including a distinctive giraffe on the right. The work exemplifies the early Renaissance interest in complex storytelling and spatial depth.
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates a episode from the biblical account of Joseph, focusing on the moment of his rise to power and the reactions of those around him. The crowded arrangement of travelers, merchants, and livestock conveys the social and economic activity surrounding Joseph’s story, while the inclusion of exotic fauna hints at the expanding horizons of the period.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempero, the painting relies on egg‑yolk emulsion to bind pigments, yielding bright, matte colors and fine detail. Bartolomeo employs a balanced distribution of figures and a clear linear perspective, characteristic of early Renaissance aesthetics. The careful rendering of textiles and animal fur demonstrates his skill in observing texture within the medium’s constraints.
History & Provenance
The panel entered the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Bartolomeo di Giovanni is supported by stylistic parallels to his documented contributions on the predella of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s *Adoration of the Magi* at the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence.
Context
Bartolomeo worked closely with Ghirlandaio, one of the leading workshop heads of late 15th‑century Florence. This association placed him within a network of artists who blended narrative clarity with emerging naturalism. The painting’s inclusion of a giraffe reflects contemporary curiosity about exotic creatures brought to Europe through expanding trade routes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomeo di Giovanni di Domenico (1458? – 1501) was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His works were first identified by the art historian Bernard Berenson, who did not know the painter's real name so…
