Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 59 works by Bartolomeo Passarotti in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Bartolomeo Passarotti left, the most famous is Portrait of an old woman (1582), in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Close behind it come The Anatomy Lesson (1550) and Family Portrait (1585). Our catalog holds 59 works by Bartolomeo Passarotti; the gallery has kept the 56 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The Portrait of an old woman is a work by Bartolomeo Passarotti. Created around 1582, this oil on canvas belongs to the portrait genre. It captures a single subject, an elderly woman, in a moment of quiet presence. The sitter faces the viewer with a steady, unadorned gaze.
The oil painting titled The Anatomy Lesson brings us into a crowded, intense moment of scholarly inquiry. Created by Bartolomeo Passarotti, this work captures a dramatic academic demonstration. The scene centers on an open human body, laid out for study. A professor, dressed in ecclesiastical attire, leads the lesson. He directs the attention of a group of listeners who gather closely to witness the unfolding dissection. The body rests above…
In this vertical composition from around 1585, we find ourselves in the presence of three generations, brought together in a quiet, somber arrangement. The painting depicts an older widow seated with a grown son standing behind her, while a small child stands before them. There is a certain stillness to the grouping, a sense of social hierarchy expressed through their physical placement and stoic expressions. The figures are tightly clustered…
The Portrait of the physician Carlo Fontana is an oil on canvas work created by the artist Bartolomeo Passarotti. This portrait, which dates to 1580, depicts a male subject in a medium close-up composition. The painting is categorized within the genre of portraiture.
The gaze of the subject in Portrait of a Man meets the viewer with a quiet, steady presence. This work, created by the Bolognese artist Bartolomeo Passarotti, captures a moment of stillness from 1560. The man sits before us, his features defined by a calm and direct look that suggests a life of introspection and dignity.
A muscular, semi-nude ascetic occupies the center of a rugged landscape. His skin, a stark white against the warm ochre and tan of the earth, catches a sharp light that carves out the heavy anatomy of his torso. He is a figure of monumental presence, positioned vertically to command the space. Deep shadows cling to the contours of his muscles, creating a sense of three-dimensional volume that feels heavy and…
The air in the scene feels heavy with the scent of salt and wet scales. A dense crowd gathers around a bounty of seafood, their bodies pressed close in a crowded, intimate space. An older man with a grey beard anchors the composition, his presence steady amidst the movement. Beside him, a younger man opens his mouth in a wide, theatrical expression, while a child looks upward, eyes searching the…
The oil painting on panel presents a tightly framed view of Bartolomeo Passerotti, focusing on his face and upper torso. The subject is positioned in a one-point perspective, directing the viewer's gaze toward his features. A dark color palette dominates the work, utilizing shades of brown, black, and muted green. Light enters the scene to create strong contrasts, sculpting the musculature of the face and the folds of the garment.…
In this 1560 oil on canvas, we find ourselves in the private, silent world of a scholar. The subject, a man engaged in the act of writing, is seated at a desk, his presence defined by a sense of focused intellectualism. There is a certain stillness here, a moment captured where the only sound is the scratching of a quill against parchment. The composition is centered and formal, drawing the…
The composition centers on three men positioned in a tight, intimate arrangement. A central figure holds a glass containing a reddish liquid, acting as the focal point of the group. To his side, another man appears to play a flute, while the third man engages with the others in a shared social moment. Two dogs are integrated into the lower portion of the frame, their forms resting near their human…
Portrait of the Physician Carlo Fontana1570 · Museum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK)
12
Portrait of Pope Pius V1579
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Portrait of a Young General1575
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Pope Gregory XIII1580 · Gemäldegalerie
15
Portrait of a Man1580 · Harvard Art Museums
16
Poultry dealer1580 · Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell'Arte Roberto Longhi
17
Blood of the RedeemerMuseum of Fine Arts
18
Portrait of Ignazio Danti1597 · Musée Des Beaux
19
Portrait of a Man Playing a Lute1576 · Museum of Fine Arts
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Copy after Michelangelo1550 · Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
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DIANE CHASSERESSEThe Louvre
22
The Holy Family with St Elizabeth and the Infant St John the Baptist1572
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Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Statuette1575
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Portrait of a Man with a Dog (detail)1585 · Pinacoteca Capitolina
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The Fishmonger's Shop1580 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica
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Portrait of a Man with a Dog1585 · Pinacoteca Capitolina
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Study of Male Nudes Fighting1572
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Perseus frees Andromeda1575
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Family portraitGemäldegalerie Alte Meister
30
Saint John Baptist, Saint Jerome and Saint Francis of AssisiMusée Des Beaux
31
Lute palyer
32
Portrait d'homme en armure
33
A Butchery1575 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica
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Male Nude1550 · Museo del Prado
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Copy of a Statue with A Female Nude From Back1550 · Museo del Prado
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Lucretia's Suicide1550
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Portrait of a Botanist (Ulisse Aldrovandi.)1570 · Galleria Spada
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Portrait of Pope Pius V1566 · Walters Art Museum
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Portrait of a Lady with a Dog1569
40
Double Portrait of Musicians1579 · Capitoline Museums
41
Double Dressed Portrait of Circe and Ulysses1575
42
Copy of the Good Thief, From the Last Judgement of Michelangelo1570 · Museo del Prado
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The Holy Family Accompained by an Angel and two Saints1565 · Museo del Prado
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Portrait of a Gentleman1580
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Nude Studies1580
46
Portrait of a Cavalier with his Hunting Dogs1580 · Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art
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The Coronation of the Virgin with Saints Luke, Dominic, and John the Evangelist1580 · Art Gallery of South Australia
48
St. Dominicus and the Albigensians1580 · Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
49
Domenico Giuliani and His Servant
50
Portrait of an Old Woman
51
A Group of Six Men, Including a Self Portrait
52
Portrait of a lady, head and shouldersBavarian State Painting Collections
53
Portrait of an Unknown Soldier in ArmourNational Trust
54
Holy Family with the Infant St John the Baptist and St Catherine of AlexandriaChristian Museum
55
Two market women and a boy with chicken and vegetablesGemäldegalerie
56
The Butcher's Shop1580 · Galleria Nazional d Art Antica
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Bartolomeo Passarotti | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 4 | Male Nude, Copy of a Statue with A Female Nude From Back, Copy of the Good Thief, From the Last Judgement of Michelangelo |
 Kunsthistorisches Museum |
Vienna | 3 | Portrait of an old woman, Family Portrait, Portrait of the physician Carlo Fontana |
 Galleria Nazional d Art Antica |
Rome | 3 | The Fishmonger's Shop, A Butchery, The Butcher's Shop |
 Bavarian State Painting Collections |
Munich | 2 | Portrait of a Man, Portrait of a lady, head and shoulders |
 Museum of Fine Arts |
Boston | 2 | Blood of the Redeemer, Portrait of a Man Playing a Lute |
 Pinacoteca Capitolina |
Rome | 2 | Portrait of a Man with a Dog (detail), Portrait of a Man with a Dog |
 Galleria Borghese |
Rome | 1 | The Anatomy Lesson |
 National Gallery of Ireland |
Dublin City | 1 | Saint Jerome |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The oil painting titled The Anatomy Lesson brings us into a crowded, intense moment of scholarly inquiry. Created by Bartolomeo Passarotti, this work captures a dramatic academic demonstration. The scene centers on an open human body, laid out for study. A professor, dressed in ecclesiastical attire, leads the lesson. He directs the attention of a group of listeners who gather closely to witness the unfolding dissection. The body rests above…
The gaze of the subject in Portrait of a Man meets the viewer with a quiet, steady presence. This work, created by the Bolognese artist Bartolomeo Passarotti, captures a moment of stillness from 1560. The man sits before us, his features defined by a calm and direct look that suggests a life of introspection and dignity.
In this intimate portrait, we encounter the physician Carlo Fontana, a man whose presence is defined by a quiet, scholarly intensity. He is captured in a three-quarter view, his gaze meeting the viewer with a directness that suggests a lifetime of observation. The lighting is deliberate, a controlled chiaroscuro that emerges from the upper left to illuminate the textures of his weathered skin, the crispness of his white collar, and…
The Portrait of an old woman is a work by Bartolomeo Passarotti. Created around 1582, this oil on canvas belongs to the portrait genre. It captures a single subject, an elderly woman, in a moment of quiet presence. The sitter faces the viewer with a steady, unadorned gaze.
Portrait of an old woman (1582), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. The Anatomy Lesson (1550) and Family Portrait (1585) come next.
53 years old: Portrait of an old woman dates from 1582, and Bartolomeo Passarotti was born in 1529.
Portrait of an old woman, The Anatomy Lesson, Family Portrait, Portrait of the physician Carlo Fontana, Portrait of a Man, Saint Jerome, The Fishmongers, Self-portrait, Portrait of a Scribe and Three Men with Two Dogs. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 59 works by Bartolomeo Passarotti, dated from 1550 to 1585.
Mostly in Museo del Prado (Madrid), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna) and Galleria Nazional d Art Antica (Rome). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1580s: 15 of the 56 works on this page were made then, Portrait of an old woman among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Anatomy Lesson (1550) and the latest Family Portrait (1585).
Man (15), Beard (7) and Book (6), across the 56 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 15 of the 56 works on this page.
Renaissance and Mannerism, judging by the originals on this page.
Male Nude, Copy of a Statue with A Female Nude From Back and Copy of the Good Thief, From the Last Judgement of Michelangelo: the Museo del Prado, Madrid holds 4 of the works on this page.
In the vibrant, shifting landscape of the late sixteenth century, few artists captured the transition from the structured elegance of the High Renaissance to the dramatic intensity of the Baroque as skillfully as Bartolomeo Passarotti. Born in Bologna in 1529, Passarotti emerged not merely as a painter, but as a pivotal bridge between eras. His early years were defined by a profound immersion in the Roman art scene, where between 1550 and 1555, he sought the guidance of masters such as Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola and Taddeo Zuccari. This period of Roman training was transformative; it instilled in him a deep reverence for classical antiquity and the humanist principles of anatomical precision and balanced composition, even as he began to experiment with the more elongated and complex forms that would define the Mannerist movement.
Upon his return to his native Bologna, Passarotti did not merely settle into local practice; he established a formidable artistic powerhouse. His studio became a crucible of innovation, attracting a generation of talent that would eventually reshape European art. Among his most notable pupils were Agostino Carracci, Lucio Massari, and Francesco Brizzi—artists who would carry the seeds of his stylistic experimentation into the burgeoning Baroque era. This legacy of mentorship ensured that Passarotti’s influence extended far beyond the walls of his own workshop, as his approach to light, texture, and subject matter permeated the very fabric of the Bolognese school.
Passarotti’s oeuvre is celebrated for its remarkable versatility, ranging from the divine to the deeply terrestrial. He possessed a unique ability to navigate between grand religious altarpiements and intimate, often gritty, genre scenes. His work often features a striking use of chiaroscuro, utilizing stark contrasts between light and shadow to imbue his subjects with a sense of psychological depth and physical presence. This technique, which prefigured the dramatic lighting later perfected by Caravaggio, allowed him to breathe life into both mythological figures and everyday laborers.
In his genre paintings, Passarotti displayed an extraordinary eye for detail and a fascination with the textures of daily existence. Works such as The Butcher's Shop (1580) serve as captivating windows into the late Renaissance world, showcasing a masterful command of warm tones and a realistic depiction of communal life. Similarly, his ability to render the divine is evident in pieces like Diane Chasseresse, where the Roman goddess of the hunt is captured with a dynamic, muscular grace that embodies the very essence of Mannerist energy. Whether depicting the quiet solitude of a Lute Player or the solemnity of religious devotion, his brushwork consistently sought to capture the fleeting tension between the ideal and the real.
While history sometimes overlooks Passarotti in favor of more revolutionary figures like Michelangelo, his importance to the evolution of Italian art is undeniable. He was a master of transition, an artist who understood how to honor the classical past while simultaneously preparing the ground for the emotional turbulence of the next century. His later works, influenced by Tuscan models such as Giorgio Vasari and Prospero Fontana, demonstrate a continuous evolution and an enduring curiosity about the changing tides of aesthetic taste.
The historical significance of Bartolomeo Passarotti lies in his role as a foundational figure for the Carracci Academy and the broader Bolognese tradition. His life’s work—a blend of meticulous anatomical study, dramatic lighting, and a profound interest in the human condition—remains a testament to the enduring power of Mannerism. Through his studio, his pupils, and his evocative canvases, Passarotti ensured that the spirit of Bologna would remain at the heart of the European artistic dialogue for generations to come.
