Major works by Jacopo Bassano 16th-century master of the Venetian Renaissance at Sinebrychoff Art Museum
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, November 21, 2024


Major works by Jacopo Bassano 16th-century master of the Venetian Renaissance at Sinebrychoff Art Museum
Jacopo Bassano (c. 1515–1592), Sleeping Shepherd, c. 1568. Szépművészeti Múzeum | Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Photo: Szépművészeti Múzeum/ Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest,2023.



HELSINKI.- The Sinebrychoff Art Museum is showing paintings by a 16th-century Italian Renaissance master. This exhibition of works by Jacopo Bassano (c. 1515–1592) produced by the Museum is the first monographic presentation of his art in Europe outside of Italy. Although less well-known to the public than his great contemporaries Titian, Jacopo Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese, Jacopo Bassano is one of the most important representatives of the Venetian Renaissance.

“We are profiling this highly original master specifically through the paintings that made him popular in his time. His works were praised by contemporary critics and were in great demand on the art market,” says Museum Director Kirsi Eskelinen.

The artworks in the exhibition date from the 1550s to 1570s. Extensive international cooperation has resulted in an exhibition comprising a total of 34 of Jacopo Bassano’s works. This is the first time that some of them have been shown in a monographic exhibition of his oeuvre. It also includes some extremely rare coloured-chalk sketches on loan from the Louvre and the Gallerie degli Uffizi. Other partners in the exhibition include the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Galleria Borghese and Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa in Italy, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

The exhibition publication, Jacopo Bassano – Renaissance Painter of Venetian Country Life, is authored by leading Bassano researchers. The exhibition is curated by Kirsi Eskelinen, PhD, and Dr Claudia Caramanna, both researchers specializing in Jacopo Bassano.

Innovator and skilled depictor of animals

Jacopo Bassano created a new biblical-pastoral genre in painting. These works from the 1560s depict events from the Bible set in an idyllic rural landscape, with animals and shepherds as central elements. The landscape in the background is from Monte Grappa, a mountain in Jacopo’s home region. During the 1570s, depictions of details of everyday life became so prominent in the paintings that it is hard to identify the biblical subject.

“A key feature of the paintings was the landscape, which was filled with peasants, their animals, and everyday chores. The animals, in particular, exemplify Jacopo’s virtuoso painting skills, and, as it were, serve as his signature,” Eskelinen says.

The biblical-pastoral paintings brought Bassano’s workshop increased success. Its output was organized strictly and efficiently in order to meet the high demand. The paintings re-used earlier compositions, as well as the same posture and figure motifs. They also kept to the standard sizes preferred by clients. The biblical-pastoral paintings and various series of paintings, for instance, depicting the four seasons, were among the most popular works.

Bassano’s family business appealed to the royal courts of Europe and to commoners

Jacopo Bassano plied his trade in the workshop founded by his father, Francesco il Vecchio (c. 1470/1475–1539), in their hometown of Bassano on the mainland periphery of the city-state of Venice, from which Jacopo adopted his surname. He took over management of the workshop after his father’s death. In the traditional Venetian manner, it was a family business in which Jacopo was assisted by his four sons Francesco (1549–1592), Leandro (1557–1622), Giambattista (1553–1613) and Gerolamo (1566–1621).

Under Jacopo’s leadership the workshop thrived and, besides traditional paintings, produced frescoes, altar paintings and portraits, as well as undertaking a variety of decorative tasks. It was situated far away from the artistic centre, Venice, as a consequence of which its output became quite diverse, unlike the workshops of the great masters in Venice, which focused solely on paintings. One of the four ledgers from Bassano’s workshop, Libro secondo, has been preserved to this day, and hence the workshop’s output and clientele are well documented. The ledger has also made it possible to accurately date Jacopo’s works.

Jacopo Bassano was the workshop’s master, whose handiwork his sons imitated meticulously. The sons learned to reproduce their father’s most popular motifs, with several different versions being made. The exhibition also features works painted by the sons. It is difficult to distinguish paintings by Jacopo from those of his offspring, nor was that the intention, rather, the workshop specifically aimed at a uniform style. Jacopo made numerous paintings together with his sons.

“It appears that Jacopo also deliberately promoted his sons’ artistic careers by co-signing their first important commissions. The master’s signature guaranteed the quality of the paintings while, at the same time, Jacopo set his seal on the boys as continuers of his own work,” Eskelinen says.

The Bassano name became known abroad, too, as far away as the courts of Europe. The workshop’s clientele included both the nobility and commoners. The Bassanos’ workshop operated uninterrupted until the death of Jacopo’s grandson and successor Jacopo Apollonio in 1654.

Material analysis reveals blue pigment

The initial impetus for the exhibition was two paintings by Jacopo Bassano in the Sinebrychoff Art Museum’s collections: Virgin and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Anthony Abbot (c. 1561-62) and John the Baptist Gathering Flowers for His Parents (c.1559–1560). These have now undergone further study and the Finnish National Gallery’s Conservator Suvi Kervinen has conserved Virgin and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Anthony Abbot for this exhibition.

“This is perhaps the finest Italian Renaissance painting in Finland. It also has a very exciting provenance, since it belonged to a King of France’s Bourbon dynasty, as is evidenced by the coat of arms on the frame,” Eskelinen says.

Hanne Tikkala, Senior Researcher at the Finnish National Gallery, carried out technical analyses of both of these works. Her research revealed the reason for the brown colouring of John the Baptist Gathering Flowers for His Parents – the blue used in it had been completely lost over time. The painting uses smalt (cobalt glass), which was commonly employed as a blue pigment in the 16th century. The originally bright blue would have been visible very widely in the painting. So we know that its overall hue was quite different from that seen by viewers today.

“The material analysis has produced some very important information. Knowing about the existence of the blue also alters our interpretation of these works. This is a discovery of international significance, since the blue pigments used by Jacopo have not previously been studied in this way. Degradation of the blue can also be seen in three other works in the exhibition,” Eskelinen says.

The conservation and technical analysis of the works by Jacopo Bassano from the Finnish National Gallery’s collection are revealed to the public in greater detail in a video in the exhibition. This features a digital reconstruction of John the Baptist Gathering Flowers for His Parents made by the Finnish National Gallery’s photographer Aleks Talve, in which the blue has been made visible to match the results of the material analysis.

The importance of this exhibition and the committed involvement of our partners are also reflected in the fact that the lending museums – Musei Civici di Vicenza, National Gallery, Prague and Museo Civico di Bassano del Grappa – have also conserved the works now on loan here.










Today's News

August 28, 2024

Parrish Art Museum announces remarkable new additions to its collections

Crescent City Auction Gallery announces Sep 13-14th Important Estates Auction

Major works by Jacopo Bassano 16th-century master of the Venetian Renaissance at Sinebrychoff Art Museum

SJ Auctioneers announces online-only Super Luxury Jewelry, Silverware, Toys & Décor auction

National Gallery of Art receives gift of "The Nazi Drawings" by Mauricio Lasansky

Ancient tablets foretold doom awaiting Babylonian kings

2 men charged with damaging ancient rock formation at Lake Mead

Another new leader for Indianapolis museum roiled by racism outcry

Babe Ruth's 'Called Shot' jersey from 1932 World Series sells at Heritage Auctions for $24.12 million

The Met to present the first major exhibition dedicated to influential modernist architect Paul Rudolph

'A box of surprises': a Rotterdam apartment that's only 74 square feet

Brooklyn Museum announces more than 200 artists selected for The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition

3 Los Angeles museums team up to acquire art

De Pont will present the first solo exhibition of the iconic Colombian artist Beatriz González in the Netherlands

Jaclyn Conley: Castles In the Air opening September 5th at Maruani Mercier in Brussels

Zentrum Paul Klee to open first exhibition in Switzerland to provide an extensive insight into the modern art of Brazil

Rudy Franchi, who put movies at the center of a Technicolor life, dies at 85

Toned Morgan dollars and high-grade type coins assume starring roles at Heritage's Long Beach US Coins Auction

Dismantling the ship that drilled for the ocean's deepest secrets

The stuff they strut on the jellicle catwalk

CUE Art will open a solo exhibition by artist Tsohil Bhatia

Sebastian Gladstone announces Tristan Unrau: "Re-Enactment"

ICA/Boston presents the first U.S. museum survey of Charles Atlas

Exhibition of rare Shaker drawings to open at the American Folk Art Museum

How to Obtain a D7 Visa in Portugal in 2024: A Comprehensive Guide

The Hidden Symbolism of Numbers in Famous Artworks

Exploring New Horizons: Best E-Bikes for Touring and Adventure Seekers

All about online poker: where and how to learn to play?

Winning Strategies for Online Slots in the Philippines: Tips to Boost Your Chances

Long-term Disability Benefits Ontario: Essential Information and Steps

Designer Yingqian Zhu's Innovations are Transforming Media Literacy




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful