Artwork
Wunder aus der Quelle von Mara
Wunder aus der Quelle von Mara is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francesco Bassano the Younger. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1596 by Francesco Bassano the Younger, this canvas belongs to the early Baroque phase of Italian painting. The work is part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings and illustrates the artist’s transition from his family workshop in Bassano del Grappa to an independent practice in Venice.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts a modest gathering around a manger set within a wooded landscape. Figures in vivid garments, some bearing bowls or baskets, mingle with sheep, goats and a horse. The tranquil arrangement of people and animals suggests a peaceful, perhaps pastoral, narrative rather than a strictly religious scene.
Technique & Style
Warm earth tones dominate the palette, balanced by cooler blues in the sky and distant mountains. Visible brushwork creates a textured surface, especially in foliage and animal fur, while the handling of light conveys a calm atmosphere. The interplay of color and tactile strokes reflects the early Baroque emphasis on naturalism and immediacy.
History & Provenance
Francesco Bassano the Younger inherited his training from his father Jacopo Bassano and his grandfather Francesco da Ponte the Elder, working initially in the family studio before establishing a Venetian branch. The painting eventually entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display as a representative example of the Bassano family’s artistic legacy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Bassano the Younger (Italian: Francesco Bassano il Giovane; 26 January 1549 – 4 July 1592), also called Francesco Giambattista da Ponte or Francesco da Ponte the Younger, was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period.
