Loggia di raffaello, 07, 02

A group of men negotiate the sale of the young Joseph into slavery, with one figure counting silver coins into another's hand. To the left, merchants wait with camels carrying heavy packs, while in the foreground, the stone lid of the dry pit where Joseph was imprisoned lies open. The figures are arranged in a dynamic, shallow space against a backdrop of distant hills and a clear blue sky.

Within the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition, the figure of Joseph was viewed as an exemplar of the 'prophetic spirit' and the ability of the soul to perceive divine truths through dreams. His descent into the pit and subsequent rise in Egypt served as a potent allegory for the soul's journey through the material world and the operations of divine providence.