Venetian school, late 16th century, Portrait of a gentleman

Venetian school, late 16th century Portrait of a gentleman Oil on copper, 18 x 14.5 cm With frame 22 x 18 cm The Dal Ponte family, nicknamed Bassano, were a family of painters from Bassano del Grappa, active in Veneto between the late 15th and early 17th centuries. They descended from Jacopo di Berto, a tanner originally from Gallio who moved to Bassano in 1464 in the contrada del Ponte (hence the surname). His son Francesco il Vecchio – born between 1470 and 1473 and died in 1539 – was the first to practice, albeit modestly, the art of painting. He is responsible for opening the industrious family workshop where numerous artists were engaged in the creation of canvases, banners and frescoes for churches and palaces, as well as objects of use (the so-called "applied art") commissioned by the emerging Venetian bourgeoisie. It was in this environment that his three sons were trained: Giambattista (known until 1549), Gianfrancesco, and Iacopo (c. 1510-1592), who can be considered, without a shadow of a doubt, the most authoritative representative of the family. Among Iacopo's sons, Francesco il Giovane (1549-1592), Giambattista (1553-1613), and Leandro (1557-1622) are remembered: it was the latter who specialized in the genre of portraiture, becoming particularly popular among noble and bourgeois patrons in the second half of the 16th century and the first two decades of the 17th century. Although his style is strongly based on his father's late manner, especially as a portraitist he showed a certain influence from the production of Jacopo Robusti, known as Il Tintoretto, with a predilection for marked contour lines, moving away from the taste for brilliant coloring of his father's workshop. Among his most famous works in this genre are the Self-Portrait in the Uffizi Galleries and the Male Portrait in the Galleries of the Accademia. It is to this last work that the author of this beautiful copper appears to look directly: the man, a certain Giovanni Paolo Ventura – the identity of the depicted is made known to us through an inscription on the upper right margin of the painting – who wears elegant but extremely rigorous clothing, casts an intense and penetrating gaze at the viewer, conveying a sense of authority. On the back of the plate is depicted a sailing ship and a figure, swimming, who is probably saving himself from a shipwreck: the image is accompanied by a motto in Latin which could be translated as follows: "Salvation comes from God, evils, however, come from the Evil One". Probably, the work could therefore constitute a votive offering made by a beneficiary, one Paolo Ventura, who appears in the portrait, following a shipwreck from which he was saved thanks to divine grace. With Ars Antiqua, it is possible to defer all amounts up to a maximum of €7,500 at ZERO INTEREST, for a total of 15 INSTALLMENTS. Ex. Total €4,500 = Monthly installment €300 for 15 months. Ex. Total €3,600 = Monthly installment €720 for 5 months. For amounts over €7,500 or for longer deferrals (over 15 installments), we can provide custom payment plans. Contact us directly for the best quote. LIVE TV – SUNDAY 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Terrestrial Dig. 126 - Sky 824 – Streaming on our website www.arsantiquasrl.com and on our Facebook and Youtube social media All works offered by Ars Antiqua are sold with a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the law and an accurate in-depth information sheet. It is possible to view the works directly at the gallery showroom in Milan, at via Pisacane 55 and 57. We personally organize transport and delivery of the works, both for Italy and abroad.