Noli me tangere

The artwork

Michelangelo prepared the design, Pontormo turned it into a painting, and this panel has been shown in public only a handful of times. It comes printed on handmade Amalfi paper, in a handmade frame.

• The risen Christ and Mary Magdalene in the garden of the tomb.
• A portrait format for a sitting room, a bedroom, a study.
• A gift for Easter, for a Magdalene, for anyone who loves Michelangelo.

In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty and mistakes the risen Jesus for the gardener. When she recognises him, he tells her “Noli me tangere”, do not hold on to me.

In the 1530s Michelangelo drew the cartoon, that is, the full-size drawing, and Pontormo translated it into paint; according to Vasari the picture was intended for the Marquis del Vasto. Another version also exists, at Casa Buonarroti, but the exhibition catalogue considers only this one to be by Pontormo's hand.

Restored for the occasion, the panel comes from a private collection and makes a very rare public appearance at the exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome.

In a sitting room or a bedroom, it brings home the meeting of two masters of the Renaissance. It is the gift for anyone who loves Michelangelo and for those who celebrate Easter.

Unique quality material

Print on handmade Amalfi paper
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
Framed size: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in)
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges
Frame: dark brown with a gold fillet, handmade, with glass