JACOPO DA PONTE, called JACOPO BASSANO (c. 1510... Lot 3023

JACOPO DA PONTE, called JACOPO BASSANO (c. 1510 Bassano del Grappa 1592) Allegory of Autumn. Oil on canvas. 127 × 177 cm. Provenance: - Galerie Moos, Geneva, no. 3611 (label on verso). - Swiss private property. Jacopo Bassano, one of the most original and respected painters of Venice in the 16th century, skillfully depicts the colors and fruits of the darkening season in the allegory of autumn. In the heyday of his work, he may easily be placed in a line with the great contemporaries such as Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto. The realistic, detailed motifs are skillfully set off by the dramatic lighting effect. It is especially the atmospheric mood that gives this scene its unity and special charm. Contrary to other allegorical depictions of this season, Bassano shows autumn in its full bloom and splendor. In preparation for the upcoming winter, bulging fruit baskets with a rich variation of pumpkins, citrus fruits and apples, combined with the striking dynamism and activity of the figures depicted, attest to the artist's understanding of the season as a period of transition. This idea of a time of transition is also reflected in the firmament and the accentuated facial features. It seems as if the table has not yet been set, the animals have not been cared for, and the baskets have not yet been filled. We may assume that this scene of Bassano, who together with his sons maintained a large and important workshop, must have triggered in its momentary recording to the contemporary viewer almost cinematic chains of thought that imply movement and renewal. This quality of new beginnings, usually associated with spring, make the present work seem extremely alive and fresh to this day. We thank Prof. Alessandro Ballarin for confirming the autograph by means of a photograph, who describes the work as a fantastic work of Jacopo Bassanon.