Return of Jacob with His Family
Dublin Core
Title
Return of Jacob with His Family
Description
This painting was painted by Jacopo Bassano, a young man who trained at the cosmopolitan workshop of Bonifacio de’Pitati, circa 1580. This particular painting is apart of the collection of the Sala del Anticollegio in the Palazzo Ducale. Seen in the painting is the biblical story of Jacob, later renamed Israel, and his family's journey back to Canaan. Bassano was known to use the allegory of biblical travel to describe the wandering in search of salvation which is exemplified in the Return of Jacob and His Family.
Bassano uses light colors to shine a light on the foreground of the painting. The herd of animal and people are the spotlight along with a brightly lit sky behind a mountain off in the distance. The herd consist of sheep, mule, a horse, and some cow. Darker colors make up the middle ground and edges of the rural landscape in the painting. The trees and forest are all very dark browns, grays, and black. The simplicity of the background makes the detail of the people and animals even more prominent. The sky surrounding the one bright spot looks stormy and cloudy. The contrasting colors lead the gaze of the audience through the painting, which allowed Bassano to effectively tell this story. It is showing the journey of Jacob and his family and of the salvation waiting ahead of them in Canaan, symbolized by the bright spot in the distance, as if salvation is lying ahead waiting for them. The rural landscape is very similar to his other works, as he’s well known for his depiction of domestic animals and peasant-like people at work. The collection of house hold items cluttered around the image are also a telltale sign of Bassano’s work.
Bassano uses light colors to shine a light on the foreground of the painting. The herd of animal and people are the spotlight along with a brightly lit sky behind a mountain off in the distance. The herd consist of sheep, mule, a horse, and some cow. Darker colors make up the middle ground and edges of the rural landscape in the painting. The trees and forest are all very dark browns, grays, and black. The simplicity of the background makes the detail of the people and animals even more prominent. The sky surrounding the one bright spot looks stormy and cloudy. The contrasting colors lead the gaze of the audience through the painting, which allowed Bassano to effectively tell this story. It is showing the journey of Jacob and his family and of the salvation waiting ahead of them in Canaan, symbolized by the bright spot in the distance, as if salvation is lying ahead waiting for them. The rural landscape is very similar to his other works, as he’s well known for his depiction of domestic animals and peasant-like people at work. The collection of house hold items cluttered around the image are also a telltale sign of Bassano’s work.
Creator
Jacopo Bassano
Source
Nichols, Tom. “Jacopo Bassano, Regionalism, and Rural Painting.” Shibboleth Authentication Request. Accessed September 14, 2020. https://web-a-ebscohost-com.proxy.lib.duke.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=30.
Christiansen, Keith. “Jacopo Dal Ponte, Called Bassano (Ca. 1510–1592).” metmuseum.org, March 2009. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bass/hd_bass.htm.
Web Gallery of Art, searchable fine arts image database. Accessed September 14, 2020. https://www.wga.hu/index1.html.
Christiansen, Keith. “Jacopo Dal Ponte, Called Bassano (Ca. 1510–1592).” metmuseum.org, March 2009. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bass/hd_bass.htm.
Web Gallery of Art, searchable fine arts image database. Accessed September 14, 2020. https://www.wga.hu/index1.html.
Publisher
https://www.wga.hu/art/b/bassano/jacopo/2/12jacob1.jpg
Date
Circa 1580
Contributor
Olivia Migli
Format
Oil on canvas, 150 x 205 cm
Type
Painting
Coverage
Palazzo Ducale, Venice
Citation
Jacopo Bassano, “Return of Jacob with His Family,” ARTHIST 89S - Visual Culture of Venice - Fall 2020, accessed October 22, 2026, https://venice.dahvc.org/fall-2020/items/show/32.