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ON
THE TRACE OF JACOPO
The masterpieces
of Jacopo Da Ponte
along a suggestive itinerary in the territory
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The
artistic production of Jacopo Da Ponte, so-called “Bassano” (1510
approx. – 1592), covers a long period of time, from his childhood up
until his old age, but is limited to a restricted area. After the
ultimation of works in Venice, Jacopo returns to his native town, from
which he no longer departs, except for brief transfers to nearby centres
for artistical purposes.
Even though this artist expressed his talent only in a tiny part of the
Veneto Region, his masterpieces have been exhibited in numerous private
and public art collections all around the world.
The
main works of Da Ponte, preserved in the Civic
Museum of Bassano,
document the five main phases
of his articulated and intricated artistical growth.
The profound attachment of Jacopo to his land is evidenced by an
important collection of works still preserved in the comunities that
once commissioned them; still surrounded by the same light and those
same spaces known by the artist in his lifetime.
The following twelve valuable works are still preserved in their
original coffers: |
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BASSANO
DEL GRAPPA
Holy Trinity Parish Church
HOLY TRINITY
(1547)
Jacopo Bassano - oil canvas
Commissioned
on November 6th, 1533 to Francesco il Vecchio, this
altar-piece was painted by Jacopo and, for unknown reasons, consigned
only in 1547.
This piece adorned the High Altar of the antique Church of Angarano,
demolished and then reconstructed by Giovanni Miazzi in the 18th
century. This altar-piece was then placed in the highest part of the
apse of the new church were it still stands as of today. Particulars of
this painting recall an engraving of the German artist Sebald Beham, the
Trinity of Pordenone for the Cathedral of St. Daniel and the
marble sculpture of Krone for the Church of
St. Crown in Vicenza. In the background of this masterpiece one
sights a limpid view of Bassano del Grappa. In this piece of high
artistic quality, Jacopo has perfectly matched the manneristic blue of
the sky with the reality of the vast landscape.
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MAROSTICA
Parish Churc of Saint Antony
THE SERMON OF SAINT PAUL (1574)
Jacopo and Francesco Bassano - oil canvas
This
huge altar-piece, dated 1574, is the first piece created by Jacopo
together with his son Francesco. The scene has been inspired by a
passage taken from the Acts of the Apostles, narrating St. Paul
“standing in the middle of the Areopagus”, preaching to the
Athens and through the conversion of some, establishing the first
Christian Comunity in Greece. The prospect of the composition recalls
the scheme adopted by Jacopo in the altar-pieces of his creation of this
period (1570s). In this painting,
the figures in foreground are depicted by Jacopo with a sound
plasticity and brilliant chromatism; the vanishing figures in the upper
part of the piece and the landscape are believed to be of his son’s
creation.
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SAINT
LUKE FROM CROSARA
Parish Churc of Saint Luke
THE DEPOSITION
(1537 - 1538)
Jacopo Bassano - oil canvas
The
altar-piece, bearing no date nor signature, has always been considered
by critics to be part of the juvenile activity of Jacopo. This assertion
has later been confirmed thanks to the information provided by the
registers found in Jacopo’s workshop, which confirms that this piece
dates back to 1537/1538.
Therefore, this work was realized during the same time the other ones,
found in the Bassano area, were such as: the fresco of the Church of
Saint Lucy in Santa Croce Bigolina,
the altar-piece in Pove,
the altar-piece and the frescoes of Cittadella, which all bear notable
similarities. In all these contemporary
works, Jacopo transmits the influence in style acquired by the
works of Pordenone and Tiziano.
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SAINT
CATHERINE FROM LUSIANA
Parish Church
VIRGINA MARY WITH CHILD
(approx. 1534 - 1535)
Jacopo Bassano -oil canvas
This
altar-piece, bearing no date nor signature, due to the similarity in
style, has always been considered contemporary to the Fara piece
presently conserved at the Civic Museum in Vicenza. Therefore, according
to the information provided
by the register of the workshop of Da Ponte, it dates back to the
years 1534 and 1535.
The order-scheme is the same: near the Virgin Mary, seated on the throne
with the Child, standing on a lower prospective, are two saints. Behind
the Virgin no rigid architectural structure prevails, only a narrow
curtain, which allows the viewer to space beyond and enjoy the vast
landscape.
Saint Catherine depicted in this altar-piece and Mary of Magdala
portrayed in the Fara one, bear similarities not only as far as the
tipologies are concerned but also because they both recall the
tonalities used by Tiziano.
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CARTIGLIANO
Parish Church of Saint Simon and Giuda
FRESCO DECORATION
(approx. 1575)
Jacopo and Francesco Bassano - frescoes
The
activity carried out by Jacopo and Francesco also included a cycle of
frescoes, dated back to 1575 and mostly, as of today, still
well-conserved. In these works the iconographic scheme recalls the one
represented by the piece once conserved in the Church of Enego and no
longer available. On the farthest wall of the Chapel of the Rosary, once
apse of the antique parish, in the middle of depicted columns, behind
the altar, appear the Saints “Simon Cananeo and Giuda Taddeo”; on
top of them two biblic scenes: “Moses receiving the Tables of the Law”
and “The sacrifice of Isaac”. The episodes of the “Original Sin”
and the “Expulsion from the Garden of Eden” are depicted on the wall
to the right and are still considered to be of Francesco’s creation.
The whole left wall is frescoed with a immence “Crucifixion” with
three crosses, in which we
find subjects previously represented in contemporary biblic pastoral
paintings and in the
canvases of Civezzano. In every triangular sector of the vault, a
preaching Evangelist with a
Father of the Church is depicted.
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SANTA
CROCE BIGOLINA
Church of Saint Lucy
FRESCO DECORATION (1536 - 1537)
Jacopo Bassano - frescoes
Commissioned
by Father Mattia, Prior of the Benedictines of San Fortunato in Bassano,
on October 17th 1536, Jacopo, with the help of his brother
Giambattista, started to fresco the little Church of St. Lucy, at that
time subordinated to the monastery of Bassano. On the wall we can view a
frieze with eighteen circled representations of saints, on the arch of
triumph “The
Annunciation”and under the arch thirteen medallions with “Profets”.
The following year the decoration was completed with a fake altar-piece
placed at the back of the apse representing “The Virgin Mary and the
Saints” and, on the vault a representation of “The Holy Father”.
On the external façade of the Church, above the front door, one sights
“S. Lucy” and on the side of the Church, above an external altar
“The Virgin Mary between St. Lucy and St. Lorenz”.
Part of these frescoes, seriously deteriorated, are of recent
restoration. The frescoes, still well preserved,
found in this Church, are the first works of this kind realized
by Jacopo. These masterpieces allow us to follow up on his juvenile
activities under the influence of Tiziano and Pordenone.
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CITTADELLA
Parish Church
FRESCO DECORATION (1537 - 1538)
and
SUPPER AT EMMAUS
(1537)
Jacopo Bassano - frescoes
On
August 19th, 1537 the Archpriest Pietro Cauzio and the
treasurers of the Municipality of Cittadella entrusted Jacopo to fresco
the presbytery of their Cathedral with figures and fake architectures
and depict an altar-piece with the scene “Supper at Emmaus”. The
work carried out by Jacopo with the collaboration of his brother
Giambattista, was concluded in 1538. Canvas and frescoes bear the same
iconographic scheme intended to magnify the divine nature of Christ in a
difficult period for the Catholic Commuity of Cittadella assaulted by
heresy. The magnificient altar-piece, which illustrates the apparition
of Christ,
risen from the dead, to his disciples Luke and Cleofa, perfectly
compensates the pictorial research which Jacopo had developed up to that
point of his juvenile artistic growth. The other works part of the
fresco cycle of Jacopo, brought to light in 1989 and restored in 1992,
evidence the influence of the art of Michelangelo.
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ONARA
Parish Church
NOLI ME TANGERE
(1546)
Jacopo Bassano
- oil canvas
Commissioned
by the treasurers of the Church of Onara at the beginning of 1546, this
painting belongs to the first period of maturity of the artist. A period
of fervid interest towards manneristic experiences evocated by the art
of Parmigianino, which the artist came to know through the prints
divulged by Schiavone. The scene represents, with yearning sweatness, a
passage taken from the Gospel according to St. John in which Christ,
risen from the dead, meets Mary of Magdala. The “manner” of the
figures, depicted with elegant forms and precious colours, harmonizes
with the “reality” of the
familiar surrounding of Bassano and Mt. Grappa, captured in the
cool pink light of the rising dawn.
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POGGIANA
DI RIESE
Parish Church
MARTYRDOM OF SAINT LORENZ
(approx. 1590)
Jacopo Bassano
- olio su tela
Inspired
by Tiziano’s interpretation of the “Martyrdom of St. Lorenz”,
exposed in the Jesuit Church in Venice, this altar-piece was created by
Jacopo around 1590, in his late years, which, up until a while ago, were
thought to have been idle. However, the drama which dominates the scene
is not as violent as the one interpreted by Tiziano, but is placid and
intimate.
The heavenly light from above, the artificial flames sent forth from the
fire and the torch evoke from the darkness the fierce figures of the
torturers and the helpless one of the victim, Lorenz, who looks at the
palm of martyrdom brought by the angels, in sign of eternal glory.
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CASSOLA
Parish Church
ST. MARK IN GLORY
(approx, 1573)
Jacopo Bassano
- oil canvas
The
altar-piece, celebrating the glory of St Mark, was placed on the High
Altar of the Parish Church of Cassola on December 21st, 1573.
The rapid and firm brush strokes, the human types, the illuminating
effects of the twilight in this piece are similar to the elements found
in the moon-shaped votive canvas dated 1573 of “The Virgin Mary seated
on the throne between St. Mark and St. Vincenzo venerated by the Rectors
of Vicenza” exposed in the Civic Museum of Vicenza.
Although the lower part of the painting has been deteriorated by the
signs of time, one can still appreciate the plain landscape in the
background. This time, the view of the surroundings is taken from the
top of Mt. Grappa down towards the lowlands of Vicenza, where Cassola is
situated.
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POVE
DEL GRAPPA
Parish Church
ST. VIGILIO IN GLORY
(approx. 1537)
Jacopo Bassano
- oil canvas
The
elegant figure of glorious St. Vigilio dominates this altar-piece
painted between 1536 and 1537 for the Parish Church of Pove. This piece,
dedicated to the Bishop of Trento, Vigilio, who was martyrized in 405,
depicts the conversation between St. Vigilio, St. Girolamo, particularly
venerated by the inhabitants of the Veneto Region and St. John the
Baptist, invoked as the protector of shepherds. Behind the Saints
appears the landscape of Pove, symbolized by a poplar standing out from
the river Brenta. A small branch sprouting from its trunk, alluding to
death and resurrection, is frequently illustrated in the pieces signed
by Jacopo.
The dilated figures of the Saints recall the ones depicted by Pordenone,
whereas the face of St. Girolamo is similar to St. Anthony Abbot’s
depicted in the Lotto altar-piece for the Cathedral of Asolo.
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ENEGO
Parish Church
ST. GIUSTINE ON THE THRONE
(approx. 1560)
Jacopo Bassano
- oil canvas
Jacopo
painted this altar-piece for the Church of Enego, in the same period in
which he depicted the frescoes of the choir, nave and ceiling. The
latter were seriously damaged by the fire which broke out in 1613 and
1762 and then completely damaged in 1802 when the antique Church was
demolished and consequently reconstructed.
The only piece remaining in Enego of Jacopo’s works is the altar-piece,
exposed on the internal part of the façade. Seated high on the throne
is St. Giustine, titular of the Church and the Confraternity which once
served the altar, above which, in the past, this piece was situated, at
the right side of the High Altar. St. Giustine is circled by the
thaumaturge Saints Rocco, Sebastian and Anthony Abbot. This painting,
rich in elements which recall the tradition of Parma and Verona, is the
most precious masterpiece created by “Bassano” at the end of his
manneristic season.
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Edited
by
The
Association
"Friends of Museum and Monuments" of Bassano del Grappa
Superintendance
on Artistical and historical properties of the Veneto Region
City hall of Bassano del
Grappa - Cultural office
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Information:
MUSEO
- BIBLIOTECA - ARCHIVIO
tel. 0424/522235 fax 0424/523914
I.A.T. - Informazioni ed Assistenza
Turistica
tel. 0424/524351 fax 0424/524353
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