Description
This year’s microfibre celebrates the 74th anniversary of Urbano’s entry into the production of eyewear (industry Safilo, 18 October 1946).
The image shows a detail of a 1585 painting by Cosimo da Castelfranco, born Paolo Piazza (1560-1620).
The painting is kept in the sacristy of the Cathedral of Castelfranco Veneto (TV) and is dedicated to the “Supper of Emmaus”.
The risen Christ manifests himself but is not identified by two of his disciples who invite the stranger to eat in an inn, but in the act of breaking the bread they recognize Jesus in that gesture (Luke 24,13 -35).
The detail extracted from the painting represents the interior of the inn and the innkeeper depicted in profile, relaxed during a break on a “savonarola” observes the scene (off screen), while holding two ducks by the neck in his left hand.
He strikes the detail of the ear in which an bow leather spectacles has been planted and the scene recalls our “bechèr” (butchers) when they placed the pencil on the ear. A similar representation was proposed in 1620 by Guercino (1591-1666), “old man with glasses” and one dating back to 1640 is found at the “National Gallery of Ireland” in a painting entitled “Christ dispute with doctors” by an anonymous Neapolitan artist known as the “Master of the Annunciation to the shepherds”.
To date, this one by Paolo Piazza is therefore the oldest representation of a subject with glasses on the ear.