Jacopo Bassano
(also known as Giacomo da Ponte, c. 1515
- 13 February 1592)
was an Italian painter who was born and died in Bassano del Grappa
near Venice,
from which he adopted the name.
His father Francesco Bassano the Elder
was a "peasant artist" and Jacopo adopted some of his style
as he created religious paintings with novel features
including animals, farmhouses, and landscapes. He trained
initially with his father, Francesco da Ponte
the Elder, then in the studio of Bonifacio Veneziano.
His mature style, however, followed the example of Titian.
Having worked in Venice and other Italian towns, he
established a workshop in Bassano with his four sons: Francesco the Younger
(1549–1592), Girolamo
(1566–1621), Giovanni Battista
(1553–1613), and Leandro
(1557–1622). They shared his style, and some works are
difficult to attribute precisely.
While he learnt from other artists of
the time, his relationships with them varied, notably when
he portrayed Titian
as a moneychanger in Purification of the Temple.
Other particularly notable works include Jacob’s Return
to Canaan, Dives and Lazarus, Acteon and the
Nymphs, The Last Supper and Annunciation to
the Shepherds.
He died in Bassano.
