Oil painting, 'The Good Samaritan', after Jacopo Bassano, late 18th-early 19th century

A man dressed in red is helping a half naked man to get on the horse in front of him, with two dogs on the left. A massive block of rock is just behind him on the right while a distant town is on the left, with two figures walking.

Purchased, 1866

Historical significance: This painting is a reduced copy, probably of late 18th or early 19th century date, of The Good Samaritan by Jacopo Bassano, now in the National Gallery, London (no. 227; see N. G. Catalogues, G. Gould, 16th century Venetian School, 1959, p. 12; Illustrations, Italian Schools, 1937, p. 23). The original measures 40 x 31¼ (101 x 79). A preparatory drawing for that composition is in the Courtauld Institute, London. The original painting was in the collection of Sir Joshua Reynolds (d. 1792), was inherited by his niece the Dowager Marchioness of Thomond, and purchased in 1821 by Samuel Rogers, at whose sale in 1856 it was acquired by the National Gallery. Numerous versions and derivatives of this work exist.

The present work shows a man, dressed in a red tunic and blue trousers, helping a half naked man to get on the horse in front of him. The composition is divided by rocks on the right, and a distant town is visible in the left background. The present work was originally brighter in tone, and has darkened owing to a degraded varnish.

The original work dates from Jacopo's mature period of around 1562-63, when he was searching for inventive compositions to renew traditional religious iconography. It illustrates a parable from the New Testament (Luke 10:25-38) which relates how a traveller, wounded by thieves on the road, was saved by a Samaritan, while a priest and Levite pass him by. The silver flask at the Samaritan's feet is probably for the oil, which he was to pour on the wounds, while dogs traditionally allude to fidelity and devotion. The distant town imay be the artist's native city of Bassano.

Jacopo del Ponte, known as Bassano, (1510-1592) was born in Bassano, near Venice, and trained in his father's workshop before studying in Venice under Bonifazio de' Pitati (1487-1553). He then returned to Bassano to work in his father's workshop, until the latter's death in 1539. He later regularly worked Venice and was associated with Jacopo Tintoretto (1519-1594), Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) and Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). His pupils include his sons Leandro, Francesco, Giambattista and Gerolamo.

History paintings based on religious, classical, literary or allegorical subjects, particularly developed in Italy during the Renaissance. The term was most frequently associated with Classical subjects. The development of art treatises, in which the compositional rules guiding the art of painting were discussed also notably, influenced the evolution of history painting.

Jacopo del Ponte called Bassano (1510-1592) was born in Bassono near Venice and trained in his father's workshop before studying in Venice under Bonifazio de' Pitati (1487-1553). He then returned to Bassano to work in his father's workshop until his death in 1539. He later travelled often to Venice and maintained close friendship with the great masters of this time such as Jacopo Tintoretto (1519-1594), Annibale Carracci (1560-1609) and Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). Among his pupils were his sons Leandro, Francesco, Giambattista and Gerolamo.

This painting is a reduced copy after a well-known composition by Jacopo Bassano, The Good Samaritan (The National Gallery, London). It illustrates a parable from the New Testament relating how a traveller's wounded on the road was rescued by a Samaritan while a priest and a Levite passed by. This painting is a good example of Jacopo's mature period marked by a darker palette and subtle contrast between light and shade.

250-1866