Bassano, Jacopo

Bassano, Jacopo (yä`kōpō bäs-sä`nō), c.1515–1592, Venetian painter, whose original name was Jacopo, or Giacomo, da Ponte, b. Bassano, Italy. Bassano first studied with his father, Francesco da Ponte, and then went to Venice. There he was influenced by Titian and Lorenzo Lotto, but he soon evolved a more turbulent mannerist style. Returning to Bassano c.1540, he established a thriving workshop producing works primarily on biblical themes. Into his paintings, which were characterized by a dramatic intensity, he introduced vignettes of country life. He was among the first Italian painters to depict animals, farmhouses, and landscapes. Jacopo's works include Jacob's Return to Canaan (Ducal Palace, Venice); Dives and Lazarus (Cleveland Mus.); Acteon and the Nymphs (Art Inst., Chicago); Annunciation to the Shepherds (National Gall. of Art, Washington, D.C.).

Of Jacopo's four sons, his most worthy followers were

Francesco Bassano, 1549–92, whose biblical and pastoral scenes were similar in style to his father's, and

Leandro Bassano, 1558–1623, who painted altarpieces and portraits as well as pastoral genre. The Cleveland Museum of Art has his Pietà.

Bibliography

See study of Jacopo Bassano by P. Zampetti (tr. 1958).

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Bassano, Jacopo

 orig. Jacopo da Ponte

(born c. 1517, Bassano, republic of Venice—died Feb. 13, 1592, Bassano) Italian painter. He was the most celebrated member of a family of artists from the small town of Bassano, near Venice, where he worked for most of his life. He trained with Bonifacio de' Pitati in Venice and was influenced by other Venetian painters. He became known for his late Renaissance-style works depicting biblical themes, lush landscapes, and rustic scenes. Four painter sons continued the Bassano workshop tradition: Francesco (1549–92) and Leandro (1557–1622), both of whom were part of the workshop's Venetian branch, Giovanni Battista (1553–1613), and Gerolamo (1566–1621). Many products of the workshop were collaborative efforts.