Label
2024, “Endangered Art: Reclaiming a Legacy”
This painting is attributed to Jacopo Bassano, who established himself during the Renaissance as a painter of portraits, genre scenes, and religious subjects. It may depict Venetian artist Sebastiano del Piombo wearing a Dominican habit and biretta, a square-ridged cap.
Conservation treatment involved reversing earlier restoration attempts that dimmed the painting’s tonal range. Specialists removed an old lining, applied a new backing, and cleaned the portrait before in-painting with new pigments and re-varnishing. The work was fitted with a frame from Veneto, the region of Italy in which Bassano worked. Under the frame’s gilt is a layer of bole, a reddish-brown coating that warms the gold leaf and complements the red tones of the painting.