Painting By Leandro Bassano (1557–1622), Allegory Of Winter

Circle of Leandro Bassano (1557–1622)

Allegory of Winter

Oil on canvas, 78.5 x 93.5 cm—with frame, 86 x 102 cm

Commonly known as the Bassanos after their hometown, Bassano del Grappa, the designation was established by art critics during the modern era; the “Da Ponte” family ran a pioneering family-run business, active for about a century and a half. Founded by Francesco the Elder in the very early 16th century, it gained widespread acclaim throughout northern Italy under the leadership of Jacopo, beginning in the second half of the 1530s, and his brothers Giambattista and Gianfrancesco. After him, it was his sons—Francesco il Giovane, Giambattista, Leandro, and Gerolamo—who carried on the family tradition. The compositions are derived from a series conceived by Jacopo Bassano (1510–1592), and the stylistic characteristics suggest that they were executed by his school, whose followers remained active throughout the 17th century. This is a work from the early youth of Leandro Bassano, who we know was active in his father’s workshop until his move to Venice in 1584 or, at the latest, in 1588. In that year, Leandro was in fact registered with the Fraglia of Venetian painters; in Venice, where he had been with his father in 1577–78, he began a successful career as a painter of portraits and altarpieces, though he repeatedly drew upon his father’s artistic ideas. The activities depicted by the figures reflect those typical of the winter season, clearly highlighted by the bare trees and the snow-covered landscape in the background, which is visually separated from the foreground. In other versions of the work, an isolated biblical scene—namely, Christ Carrying the Cross—can also be seen, though it is absent from this version, which retains the details related to daily peasant life: gathering firewood, the family gathered around the fire, the animals that tie the various parts of the painting together, and the snow-dusted landscape on the horizon. A characteristic we find in the young Leandro’s work is the emphasis on shadows, contrasting with the vibrancy of the colors and highlights, which stand out against the somber backdrop of the winter night. The tonal richness, the contrasts of light, the biblical-pastoral subject, and the rustic setting fit perfectly into the context of the Bassano school of painting.