Artwork
Lazarus and the Rich Man
Lazarus and the Rich Man is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts the biblical episode from Luke 16:19‑21 in which a destitute beggar named Lazarus lies afflicted on the ground while a well‑dressed man dines opulently nearby. At the moment of death, the painting separates the two fates: an angelic figure lifts Lazarus toward heaven, whereas the rich man is left to his doom.
Subject & Meaning
The composition contrasts earthly abundance with spiritual poverty, emphasizing the moral lesson that material wealth does not guarantee salvation. The presence of dogs attending the beggar’s sores underscores his neglect, while the sumptuous banquet behind him highlights the indifferent luxury of the affluent figure, reinforcing the parable’s warning about compassion and afterlife judgment.
Technique & Style
Rendered with a pronounced chiaroscuro, the artist employs stark light and deep shadow to model the figures and give the scene a tangible three‑dimensionality. Fine brushwork details the textures of the feast—silverware, fruit, and cloth—against the rough, wound‑marked skin of the beggar, creating a vivid visual tension between the two worlds.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Jacopo Bassano, the painting belongs to the late‑16th‑century Venetian tradition of religious narrative. It entered the collection of a private patron in the early 1600s before being acquired by a regional museum in the 20th century, where it has remained on display as part of the institution’s Baroque holdings.
Context
During the Counter‑Reformation, biblical scenes illustrating moral instruction were frequently commissioned for churches and private devotion. This work reflects that climate, using dramatic realism to engage viewers emotionally and to reinforce doctrinal teachings about the consequences of neglecting the needy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
