Artwork
Verkündigung an die Hirten (Kopie nach)
Verkündigung an die Hirten (Kopie nach) is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1553 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1553, this oil painting by Jacopo Bassano depicts the biblical scene of the angel’s announcement to shepherds. The work is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and measures a modest size, typical of Bassano’s devotional pieces. Its composition balances figures on a gentle hillside with a celestial presence above, conveying a tranquil narrative moment.
Subject & Meaning
The arrangement emphasizes the divine message reaching humble, rural figures, underscoring themes of revelation and humility in the Christian tradition.
The central focus is a shepherd seated on the ground, his white robe contrasting with the earthy tones of his companions and livestock. An angel, surrounded by soft clouds and holding a staff, hovers overhead, gesturing toward the assembled figures. The arrangement emphasizes the divine message reaching humble, rural figures, underscoring themes of revelation and humility in the Christian tradition.
Technique & Style
Bassano employs a nuanced chiaroscuro, allowing light to model the forms of the shepherds, the goat, and the surrounding landscape. The palette blends muted greens and browns with the luminous white of the angel’s garments, creating depth through atmospheric perspective. Brushwork remains detailed in the figures while the background recedes with looser, textured strokes that suggest distant hills and foliage.
History & Provenance
The painting was completed in the mid‑sixteenth century, during Bassano’s mature period in Venice. It entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century as part of the museum’s effort to acquire representative works of Northern Italian Renaissance art. Documentation traces its ownership through several private collections before its acquisition by the Bavarian state.
Context
At the time of its creation, Bassano was known for integrating pastoral motifs into religious subjects, reflecting the Venetian taste for naturalistic settings. The work aligns with contemporary Counter‑Reformation ideals, presenting sacred narratives in accessible, everyday environments. Its depiction of shepherds and animals mirrors the artist’s frequent inclusion of rural life, bridging the divine and the quotidian.
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…
