Kreuztragung Christi (Werkstattkopie)

Employing the chiaroscuro characteristic of early Baroque painting, the artist contrasts dark, indeterminate backgrounds with illuminated figures, creating a dramatic spatial depth. The brushwork is restrained, emphasizing the somber tone, while the handling of drapery and flesh suggests a study of naturalistic texture within a devotional framework.

Attributed to Francesco Bassano the Younger, the eldest son of Jacopo Bassano, the piece reflects his participation in the family workshop that he shared with his brothers. After training under his father, Francesco oversaw the Venetian branch of the Bassano studio, and this copy likely served as a teaching or devotional piece before entering the Alte Pinakothek’s collection.

The painting emerges from a period when Venetian artists were adapting the dramatic intensity of the Baroque to traditional religious subjects. Within the Bassano workshop, collaborative production of copies and variants was common, allowing the studio to meet the demand for devotional images across Northern Italy and beyond.