Tátrai Vilmos szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 95. (Budapest, 2001)
LICHNER, MAGDOLNA: Additional material to establishing the subject of Jacopo Bassano's Sleeping shepherd
his oeuvre, the 'realistic' pastoral scene 19 took shape or became generally known. As for the Budapest painting, it shows no peasants, as Rearick put it, only shepherds. And this distinction, as it will be clear later, is definitely important. I think the problem can be solved in a simpler and more self-evident way if we resume the term for the genre, 'cose pastorali' 20 , pastoral scenes. Among the pastoral scenes on biblical subjects the Adoration of Shepherds comes to view first from the middle 1540s as a picture for private devotion, 21 and as altarpiece in 15 6 8. 22 The first version of the type Annunciation to the Shepherds is from 1558 (Washington, National Gallery). This subject changes into a night scene in the painting of the Giusti collection which we know only by an engraving from Sadeler and by two studio variants from a Prague and a Vienna collection, respectively. Both original compositions of the Annunciation to the Shepherds were in the possession of Girolamo and Augustino Giusti in the 1590s. 23 As the engravings made of them between 1593 and 1595 attest they were painted by Jacopo dal Ponte, which is creditable with regards to the short interval between the paintings and their engraving copies, (figs 64-66) Another piece in the one-time Giusti collection connected with Jacopo Bassano's name, an engraving of one of his works may take us nearer to defining the subject of the Budapest painting, as their compositions are rather similar (fig. 66). Beside the sleeping shepherd we behold the loaded ass, so characteristic of the 'wandering' scenes from the Old Testament. 24 The biblical quotation on the engraving "Egredere de Terra 19 The related texts (Marucini, L../7 Bassano, Venezia 1577) and Rocco Benedetti (see note I.), further Raffaelle Borghini (// Riposo... Firenze 1584) are quoted by Avagnina, M.E., The pictorial technique of Jacopo Bassano as discussed in the early sources, in Jacopo Bassano c. 1510-1592, Fort Worth, Texas 1993.322-234. 20 Rocco Benedetti wrote in 1571 that Jacopo was wonderful in painting pastoral scenes. "... del Bassanese miracoloso in pingere cose Pastorali, e di molti altri eccellentissimi pittori ..." Ragguaglio delle Allegrezze, Solennita, e feste faite in Venetia per lafelice Vittoria al Clariss. Sig, Girolamo Diedo, digniss. Consogliere di Corfu Venetia 1571. no page numbers. Quoted by Gombrich, E.H., Celebrations in Venice of the Holy League and the Victory of Lepanto, in Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Art Presented to Anthony Blunt in his 60th Birthday, London, New York 1997, 63. 21 From 1546-47: Venice, Galleria dell'Accademia; Hampton Court, Royal Collection; from the years 1553-54: Rome, Galleria Borghese; ca. 1562: Rome, Galleria Corsini. 22 It was painted for San Giuseppe in 1568, now it is in Museo Civivo, Bassano del Grappa. 23 Pan op.cit. (note 17.) cat. 1-2; Dillon, G., II Parmigianino di Agostino Giusti. Verona Illustrata 4. 1991. 51-54. 24 The motif of the loaded ass, mule or horse also goes back to Titian, see Wethey op.cit. (note 8.) pict. 88-90, cat. 40. 161-162. 65. Jan Sadeler: The Annunciation to the Shepherds, after Jacopo dal Ponte (Jacopo Bassano), e. 1595. Padova, Museo Civico agli Eremitani -> 66. Jan Sadeler: The Annunciation to Abraham, after Jacopo dal Ponte (Jacopo Bassano), c. 1595. Padova, Museo Civico agli Eremitani
