Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 182 works by Jacopo Bassano in our catalogue
In short
Calvary (1575) is the Jacopo Bassano painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona. After it, the eye goes to Angels announcing to the shepherds the Birth of Jesus (1551) and Portrait of a Youth with Mandolin (1537). Among the 182 works of Jacopo Bassano in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
In this somber composition from 1575, we find ourselves drawn into the immediate, claustrophobic tension of the Crucifixion. The scene is dominated by the verticality of the cross, which bisects the canvas and anchors the viewer's gaze. Christ is depicted with a pale, luminous skin tone that contrasts sharply against the surrounding darkness, highlighting the physical strain of the moment. Around him, the atmosphere is thick with chaos; spears and…
A celestial burst of golden light pierces a heavy, nocturnal landscape, marking the intersection of the heavenly and the earthly. At the center of this radiance, a winged messenger descends, casting a sharp chiaroscuro effect across the scene. Below this divine illumination, a group of shepherds and their livestock huddle in the darkness, their forms defined by the sudden, intense light. The composition relies on deep earth tones, blacks, and…
A young man emerges from a deep, dark void. His gaze meets the viewer directly, steady and unblinking. He wears a black beret-style cap and a heavy, dark doublet that absorbs the light. Only one side of his face catches the directional glow, carving his features out of the surrounding gloom. A white ruffled cuff breaks the darkness at his wrist, where his arm reaches toward the edge of the…
This Renaissance-era oil portrait, dating from 1585, presents a somber and deeply expressive close-up bust portrait of an elderly man. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, facing towards the left of the frame, while his gaze is directed piercingly toward the viewer. The composition utilizes a shallow depth of field, focusing all attention on the subject's facial features by leaving much of the background and the back of the head…
The Altarpiece of the Blessed Conception is a significant work by the Venetian painter Jacopo Bassano. Also known by the title Sant’Anna in trono con la Vergine bambina tra i santi Girolamo e Francesco, the painting captures a sacred assembly through the hand of a master. It was executed in 1541. The pigment rests upon a canvas surface, holding the weight of its original purpose within its fibers.
The composition rests upon a stable, triangular geometry. Within this shape, the Virgin Mary cradles the Christ Child, their forms intertwined in a quiet, domestic intimacy. A young Saint John the Baptist enters the frame, his small limbs mirroring the soft curves of the infants. The scene is a study in weight and texture. Heavy crimson drapery falls in deep, sculptural folds behind the figures, creating a dark stage for…
The oil painting depicts a close-up portrait of a woman and an infant, positioned against a dark, draped background. The composition focuses on the upper bodies of the two figures. The woman, the Madonna, is rendered with soft contours and a pale complexion. She wears a white veil that possesses a translucent quality, resting against her hair and shoulders. A heavy red drapery surrounds the figures, creating a deep contrast…
The portrait presents a bust-length view of a man, positioned slightly off-center against a dark, indeterminate background. The subject is a male figure with dark hair and a beard, looking toward the viewer with a weary expression. His gaze is direct, establishing an eye-level perspective that creates a sense of immediate presence. He wears a simple, light-colored garment that rests against his neck, providing a pale contrast to the darker…
This 16th-century portrait, titled Portrait of a Franciscan Friar, was executed by the artist Jacopo Dal Ponte, also known as Jacopo Bassano. It is an early work from the artist's career, capturing a moment of significant development in his stylistic evolution. The subject is an unidentified Franciscan friar, a figure whose presence in portraiture is relatively uncommon given the vows of humility associated with the order.
The composition presents a stark division between two disparate human conditions, rendered in oil on a canvas measuring 55.0 x 43.0cm. In the foreground, a figure lies on the ground, positioned at a lower physical plane. This individual is depicted with pale skin and a sense of physical frailty. Above this figure, a banquet table is laden with food, where figures are gathered in an interior setting. The lighting follows…
Portrait of a Bearded Man1550 · J. Paul Getty Museum
12
The Good Samaritan (1550)1550 · Capitoline Museums
13
The Adoration of the Kings1540
14
Diana and Actaeon1585 · Art Institute of Chicago
15
Portrait of a Venetian Senator (Bernardo Morosini?)1540 · Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister im Schloss Wilhelmshöhe
16
Virgin and Child with the Saints Martin of Tours and Anthony the Great1542 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
17
The Supper at Emmaus1538 · Kimbell Art Museum
18
The Good Samaritan1547 · Royal Collection
19
The Martyrdom of Saint Mark1537 · Royal Collection
20
John the Baptist1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
21
The Market1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
22
Expulsion of the Merchants from the Temple1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
23
Annunciation to the Shepherds1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
24
The Entry of the Animals into the Ark1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
25
Adoration of the Shepherds1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
26
The Deluge1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
27
The Lamentation of Christ1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
28
Saint Jerome Penitent1550 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
29
St Jerome in the wilderness1562 · Fitzwilliam Museum
30
Saint Sebastian1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
31
Portrait of Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert (1522-1590)1553 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
32
The birth of Jesus and adoration of the shepherds1550 · National Gallery of Armenia
33
The Journey of Jacob1561 · Royal Collection
34
Portrait of a Man Holding Gloves1557 · Buckingham Palace
35
The Decapitation of St John the Baptist1550 · Statens Museum For Kunst
36
Building the Ark of Noah1550 · Musée Des Beaux
37
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1553
38
Sketch for an Altarpiece1575 · Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art
39
The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian1574 · Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
40
Portrait of an Old Gentleman1570 · National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
41
Pastoral Scene1568 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
42
The Israelites in the Desert1575 · Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
43
Christ in the House of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus1577 · Museum of Fine Arts
44
The Supper at Emmaus1565 · Royal Collection
45
The Flood1570 · Royal Collection
46
Tamar and Juda1566 · Kunsthistorisches Museum
47
Adoration of the Magi1577 · Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
48
Vulcan's Forge1577 · Museo del Prado
49
Christ Healing the Lame Man1569 · Museum of Fine Arts
50
Portrait of a Man1576 · Museum of Fine Arts
51
The Adoration of the Shepherds1570 · Nationalmuseum
52
Autumn1577
53
The Animals Entering Noah's Ark1579
54
The Deposition1570
55
Saint Valentine Baptizing Saint Lucilla1575
56
Le Retour du Fils prodigue1576 · Musée d'Unterlinden
57
Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark1590 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
58
The Adoration of the Shepherds1587
59
Daniel in the Lions' Den1581 · Ham House
60
Adoration of the Shepherds1585 · Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
61
Portrait of Urban VII1590
62
San Cristóbal
63
Christ Crowned with Thorns1590
64
The Agony in the Garden1550 · Städel Museum
65
Adoration of the Shepherds1580 · Museo del Prado
66
The Miraculous Draught of FishesNational Gallery of Art
67
The Good Samaritan1562 · National Gallery
68
Moses Strikes Water from the Rock1584 · Kunsthistorisches Museum
69
The Sacrifice of Noah1580 · Walker Art Gallery
70
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes1545
71
The Journey to Calvary1543 · Fitzwilliam College
72
Christ among the Doctors1539 · The Ashmolean Museum of Art And Archaeology
73
Entry into the Ark1550 · château-musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer
74
Winter1550 · Musée de Grenoble
75
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1554
76
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1552
77
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1557
78
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1556
79
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1555
80
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1558 · National Gallery of Art
81
Alfonso d'Arcano, Prior of Venice1560
82
The Adoration of the Magi1560 · The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
83
Birth of the VirginCampion Hall
84
The Arrest of Christ1592
85
Lazarus and the Rich Man, Jacopo Bassano (copy after), 1544 - 17001700 · Rijksmuseum
86
The Annunciation to the Shepherds )1551
87
Christ in EmmausBavarian State Painting Collections
88
The Flight into EgyptToledo Museum of Art
89
The Holy Family with DonorsNational Gallery of Ireland
90
Shepherds watering their CattleNational Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
91
The Adoration of the ShepherdsNational Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
92
Virgin and Child with John the Baptist and Saint Anthony the AbbotFinnish National Gallery
93
The Mocking of ChristMuseum of Fine Arts
94
Christ with St Martha and the Virgin MaryStatens Museum For Kunst
95
Annunciation to the Shepherds (The Night Camp)Musée Des Beaux
96
Annunciation to the ShepherdsMusée Des Beaux
97
Gondolier
98
Study for 'The Good Samaritan
99
Lazarus and the Rich ManCleveland Museum of Art
100
The Road to Calvary 1Szépművészeti Múzeum
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 Jacopo Bassano | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bavarian State Painting Collections |
Munich | 16 | Virgin and Child with the Saints Martin of Tours and Anthony the Great, John the Baptist, The Market |
 Kunsthistorisches Museum |
Vienna | 6 | Portrait of a Youth with Mandolin, Male Portrait, The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus |
 Royal Collection |
London | 6 | The Good Samaritan, The Martyrdom of Saint Mark, The Journey of Jacob |
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 9 | Angels announcing to the shepherds the Birth of Jesus, Vulcan's Forge, Adoration of the Shepherds |
 National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design |
Oslo | 3 | Portrait of an Old Gentleman, Shepherds watering their Cattle, The Adoration of the Shepherds |
 Museum of Fine Arts |
Boston | 3 | Christ Healing the Lame Man, Portrait of a Man, The Mocking of Christ |
 Szépművészeti Múzeum |
Budapest | 4 | Pastoral Scene, The Road to Calvary 1 |
 Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya |
Barcelona | 2 | Calvary, Adoration of the Magi |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A young man emerges from a deep, dark void. His gaze meets the viewer directly, steady and unblinking. He wears a black beret-style cap and a heavy, dark doublet that absorbs the light. Only one side of his face catches the directional glow, carving his features out of the surrounding gloom. A white ruffled cuff breaks the darkness at his wrist, where his arm reaches toward the edge of the…
The Altarpiece of the Blessed Conception is a significant work by the Venetian painter Jacopo Bassano. Also known by the title Sant’Anna in trono con la Vergine bambina tra i santi Girolamo e Francesco, the painting captures a sacred assembly through the hand of a master. It was executed in 1541. The pigment rests upon a canvas surface, holding the weight of its original purpose within its fibers.
A celestial burst of golden light pierces a heavy, nocturnal landscape, marking the intersection of the heavenly and the earthly. At the center of this radiance, a winged messenger descends, casting a sharp chiaroscuro effect across the scene. Below this divine illumination, a group of shepherds and their livestock huddle in the darkness, their forms defined by the sudden, intense light. The composition relies on deep earth tones, blacks, and…
The composition rests upon a stable, triangular geometry. Within this shape, the Virgin Mary cradles the Christ Child, their forms intertwined in a quiet, domestic intimacy. A young Saint John the Baptist enters the frame, his small limbs mirroring the soft curves of the infants. The scene is a study in weight and texture. Heavy crimson drapery falls in deep, sculptural folds behind the figures, creating a dark stage for…
In this somber composition from 1575, we find ourselves drawn into the immediate, claustrophobic tension of the Crucifixion. The scene is dominated by the verticality of the cross, which bisects the canvas and anchors the viewer's gaze. Christ is depicted with a pale, luminous skin tone that contrasts sharply against the surrounding darkness, highlighting the physical strain of the moment. Around him, the atmosphere is thick with chaos; spears and…
This Renaissance-era oil portrait, dating from 1585, presents a somber and deeply expressive close-up bust portrait of an elderly man. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, facing towards the left of the frame, while his gaze is directed piercingly toward the viewer. The composition utilizes a shallow depth of field, focusing all attention on the subject's facial features by leaving much of the background and the back of the head…
The air is thick with the heavy scent of dust and animal musk. In this wide landscape, a great procession moves toward a distant, illuminated structure. Oxen and horses form heavy, muscular masses in the foreground, their bodies defined by deep shadows and sharp highlights. They move with a slow, rhythmic weight. Above them, the sky is a theater of small, delicate silhouettes—birds in flight, tracing lines against the light.…
Calvary (1575), Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona. Angels announcing to the shepherds the Birth of Jesus (1551) and Portrait of a Youth with Mandolin (1537) come next.
65 years old: Calvary dates from 1575, and Jacopo Bassano was born in 1510.
Calvary, Angels announcing to the shepherds the Birth of Jesus, Portrait of a Youth with Mandolin, Portrait of an Old Man, Altarpiece of the Blessed Conception, Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Madonna and Child, Male Portrait, Portrait of a Franciscan Friar and The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 182 works by Jacopo Bassano, dated from 1537 to 1592.
Mostly in Bavarian State Painting Collections (Munich), Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna) and Royal Collection (London). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1550s: 31 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Angels announcing to the shepherds the Birth of Jesus among them.
On this page, the earliest is Portrait of a Youth with Mandolin (1537) and the latest The Arrest of Christ (1592).
People (31), Man (31) and Landscape (14), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 56 of the 100 works on this page.
High renaissance, judging by the originals on this page.
Virgin and Child with the Saints Martin of Tours and Anthony the Great, John the Baptist and The Market: the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Munich holds 14 of the works on this page.
Born in the humble town of Bassano del Grappa, nestled near the bustling heart of Venice, Jacopo da Ponte – later known as Jacopo Bassano – emerged from a family steeped in artistic tradition. His father, Francesco il Vecchio, was already an established painter when he welcomed young Jacopo into his workshop around 1510, initiating him into the demanding world of art. This early training, combined with exposure to the vibrant and innovative atmosphere of Venice, would profoundly shape Bassano’s distinctive style – a captivating blend of religious solemnity, intimate genre scenes, and breathtakingly realistic landscapes.
Bassano's formative years were marked by a unique apprenticeship. Unlike many artists who sought formal training in distant cities like Florence or Rome, he honed his skills within the familiar surroundings of his hometown. His father’s workshop provided him with invaluable experience not only in painting techniques but also in practical trades such as surveying and mapmaking – skills that would later inform his masterful depictions of the Venetian countryside. Crucially, Bassano was exposed to the works of leading Venetian masters like Titian and Giorgione, absorbing their innovative approaches to color, composition, and light. This influence is particularly evident in his early paintings, where he skillfully emulates Titian’s luminous palette and dramatic use of chiaroscuro – the interplay of light and shadow.
Bassano's artistic journey can be broadly divided into distinct periods, each characterized by subtle shifts in his style and subject matter. His early works, primarily religious scenes executed in the 1530s and 40s, demonstrate a clear debt to Titian’s influence. Paintings like “The Purification of the Temple” showcase a rich, vibrant color palette and a dynamic composition—a departure from the more static conventions of contemporary artists. However, even in these early pieces, Bassano introduces elements that would become hallmarks of his style: a focus on everyday details, an interest in capturing fleeting moments of human interaction, and a remarkable ability to imbue his scenes with a sense of atmosphere.
As he matured, Bassano’s artistic vision expanded. He increasingly turned his attention to genre paintings – intimate depictions of rural life, featuring peasants, animals, and the rhythms of agricultural labor. These works, often set against the backdrop of the picturesque Venetian landscape, are imbued with a remarkable sense of realism and immediacy. Paintings like “Sheep and Lamb” or “The Return of the Prodigal Son” exemplify this shift, demonstrating Bassano’s ability to capture the essence of human experience within a naturalistic setting. He skillfully blended religious themes with secular subjects, creating works that were both spiritually resonant and visually captivating.
Bassano's oeuvre is remarkably diverse, encompassing a wide range of subjects and styles. Among his most celebrated paintings are “The Supper at Emmaus,” a masterpiece of Venetian painting characterized by its luminous colors, dynamic composition, and evocative portrayal of the biblical scene; “The Fire” – a dramatic depiction of a barn fire that showcases Bassano’s mastery of light and shadow; and “Jacob’s Return to Canaan,” a poignant narrative scene filled with emotional depth and psychological insight. His work also includes numerous portraits, landscapes, and religious compositions, each reflecting his evolving artistic sensibilities.
Beyond Titian, Bassano was influenced by a variety of artists, including the early Renaissance masters like Dürer and Raphael, as well as contemporary Venetian painters such as Tintoretto and Veronese. He skillfully absorbed elements from these diverse sources, synthesizing them into a uniquely personal style that is both innovative and deeply rooted in Venetian tradition.
Jacopo Bassano’s impact on the development of Venetian painting is undeniable. His masterful depictions of light, color, and human emotion helped to shape the course of Venetian art for generations to come. He was a pioneer in the genre of landscape painting, elevating it from a mere decorative element to an integral part of his compositions. Furthermore, Bassano’s ability to seamlessly blend religious and secular subjects—sacred themes with everyday life—established a precedent that would be followed by many subsequent Venetian artists.
Bassano's legacy extends beyond the individual works he created. His four sons – Francesco Bassano the Younger, Giovanni Battista da Ponte, Leandro Bassano, and Girolamo da Ponte – continued his artistic lineage, carrying on his style and contributing to the vibrant artistic community of Bassano del Grappa. Today, Jacopo Bassano is remembered as one of Venice’s most important Renaissance painters—a master of light, color, and human experience whose work continues to captivate audiences around the world.
