Artwork
Aufbruch Abrahams ins gelobte Land
Aufbruch Abrahams ins gelobte Land is an unspecified painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Leandro Bassano. It dates from 1598 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Shepherds, a dog, grazing sheep and assorted household items populate the surrounding landscape, rendered in a palette of deep reds, browns and muted greens.
Leandro Bassano’s 1598 canvas, titled *Aufbruch Abrahams ins gelobte Land*, presents a nocturnal gathering illuminated by a celestial beam. Central to the composition is a infant in a manger, bathed in light, while a figure on a donkey gestures upward. Shepherds, a dog, grazing sheep and assorted household items populate the surrounding landscape, rendered in a palette of deep reds, browns and muted greens.
Subject & Meaning
The scene draws on the biblical narrative of the shepherds’ adoration, reinterpreted through the title’s reference to Abraham’s journey to the promised land. The upward pointing gesture and the radiant focus on the infant suggest a moment of divine revelation, inviting viewers to contemplate themes of covenant, guidance and the fulfillment of prophetic promise.
Technique & Style
Executed in the early Baroque idiom, Bassano employs chiaroscuro to heighten the contrast between the illuminated infant and the surrounding darkness. The brushwork combines the Venetian tradition of rich coloration with a dynamic arrangement of figures, while the warm tonal scheme enhances the intimate, yet theatrical, atmosphere of the nocturnal setting.
History & Provenance
Created during Bassano’s mature period, the painting reflects the artist’s lineage within a prominent family of painters, including his father Jacopo and brother Francesco the Younger. After Bassano’s knighthood by the Doge of Venice, the work entered various private collections before being acquired by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains in the permanent holdings.
Context
The work emerges from late‑Renaissance Italy, a time when religious commissions often merged devotional content with emerging Baroque sensibilities. Bassano’s Venetian training and his familial workshop background positioned him to blend narrative clarity with dramatic lighting, aligning the piece with contemporary trends in ecclesiastical art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Leandro Bassano (10 June 1557 – 15 April 1622), also called Leandro dal Ponte, was an Italian Renaissance painter from Bassano del Grappa who was awarded a knighthood by the Doge of Venice.
