Jacopo Bassano
Helsinki, Sinebrychoff Art Museum/ Finnish National Gallery
Jacopo Bassano was widely famed for his biblical scenes depicted in rustic settings. His early patrons included Venetian aristocrats such as Piero Pizzamano and Antonio Zantani. He met the rising demand for his paintings by employing his sons in his workshop and establishing an efficient system of production. His elder son Francesco in particular played an important role, developing a style closely resembling that of his father, who remained active as a painter right up to his death in 1592. This still results in mistaken identifications and changes of attribution. During the research project undertaken for the exhibition "Jacopo Bassano – Venetian Renaissance Master" currently showing in Helsinki, curator Claudia Caramanna has been able to securely assign the work "The Israelites Discover Water in the Desert" to Jacopo Bassano and to redate it.
Acquired in 2010 by Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein, the painting is curently on loan from the Princely Collections to the exhibition in Helsinki. Painted around 1569, it shows a biblical-pastoral scene, the foreground of which teems with people and their animals. As in many of Bassano’s works, the many-figured depiction makes it dificult to ascertain the main subject of the painting. It has now been identified as the miracle of Moses striking a rock to release water from it so that the Israelites can slake their thirst in the wilderness after fleeing Egyptian captivity.
Jacopo Bassano’s works were highly sought-after by collectors throughout Europe, who included the Spanish king Philip II and the aristocratic Florentine de’ Medici dynasty. The painting was reproduced by the Sadeler brothers from the renowned Flemish family of engravers. These prints ensured that the motifs were widely disseminated, thus establishing the international reputation of the Bassanos. Jacopo left behind an important artistic legacy that was continued by his sons and imitators.