Artwork
Lazarus and the Rich Man
Lazarus and the Rich Man is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jacopo Bassano's Lazarus and the Rich Man, an oil painting from approximately 1550, depicts a biblical parable. This work showcases the artist's distinctive style through its dramatic composition and handling of light. It is currently housed in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, representing a significant example of 16th-century Venetian painting.
Subject & Meaning
The interior setting, dimly lit, opens to a view of a large tree through a window, contrasting the opulence within with the natural world outside.
The painting illustrates the New Testament parable of the wealthy man who ignored the suffering beggar Lazarus. In the foreground, Lazarus lies in a loincloth, while a group of well-dressed figures and a dog gather around a lavish table in the background. The interior setting, dimly lit, opens to a view of a large tree through a window, contrasting the opulence within with the natural world outside.
Technique & Style
Bassano employed a pronounced chiaroscuro, creating stark contrasts between illuminated areas and deep shadows to enhance the scene's emotional intensity and three-dimensionality. The artist's application of paint, utilizing both impasto for textural richness and glazing for translucent effects, contributes to the work's tactile surface and luminous quality. These methods are characteristic of his innovative approach to religious narrative.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
