The Dead Christ with Angels

c. 1580

Leandro Bassano

(Italian, 1557–1623)

Culture

Italy, 16th century

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

Framed: 157 x 129.5 x 13 cm (61 13/16 x 51 x 5 1/8 in.); Unframed: 123.3 x 96.5 cm (48 9/16 x 38 in.)

Credit Line

Holden Collection 1916.806

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Location

Not on view

Description

In this scene, two angels are shown attending to the body of Christ after his death. The artist, Leandro Bassano, came from a family of painters—both his father and grandfather were artists, as were his brothers, Francesco and Gerolamo. Leandro worked primarily in Francesco's studio in Venice, which he took over after his brother's death in 1592. Leandro is best known as a portrait painter, working in a style often compared with that of the great Venetian artist, Tintoretto. Other versions of this painting are in the collections of the Galleria Colonna in Rome and the Civic Museum in Bassano del Grappa, the artist's birthplace.