Artwork
Portrait of the painter Jacopo Bassano da Ponte (c. 1510-1592)
Portrait of the painter Jacopo Bassano da Ponte (c. 1510-1592) is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Girolamo da Ponte. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject is presented directly, focusing on the individual identity of the painter rather than symbolic attributes or broader iconographic programs.
The work depicts Jacopo Bassano, the renowned painter and father of the artist Girolamo da Ponte who created the portrait in 1590. As a portrait genre piece, the painting functions primarily as a representation of the sitter himself, identifying him as the main subject without additional allegorical figures or complex narrative scenes described in the available records. The depiction serves to document the likeness of the elder Bassano near the end of his life, capturing the presence of a significant figure in Venetian art history.
The subject is presented directly, focusing on the individual identity of the painter rather than symbolic attributes or broader iconographic programs.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1590, this portrait utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 80 cm in height and 72 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses on the depiction of the painter Jacopo Bassano.
The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture, reflecting the artistic practices of late sixteenth-century Venice through its chosen medium and subject matter.
History & Provenance
The work was created in 1590 as an oil portrait of Jacopo Bassano by Girolamo da Ponte. It entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display.
The painting was first recorded in the museum's inventory in 1590 under the attribution to Gerolamo da Ponte, later catalogued as a portrait of Jacopo Bassano.
Provenance is documented through successive entries in the museum's acquisition records, confirming continuous ownership by the institution since its creation.
The painting is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, as recorded in the Wikidata entry for the work. No inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the materials reviewed.
Overview
Girolamo da Ponte completed this oil on canvas in 1596, portraying his father, the renowned painter Jacopo Bassano. The work resides in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and exemplifies the transitional period between the late Renaissance and early Baroque in Italy. It presents an elderly figure seated at a table, his white beard and dark attire emphasizing his status as an artist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Girolamo da Ponte also known as Gerolamo Bassano (3 June 1566 in Bassano del Grappa – 8 November 1621 in Venice) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period.
