Last Judgment
Last Judgment
- Artist
- Leandro Bassano
- Artist Dates
- 1557-1622
- Artist Nationality
- Italian
- Title
- Last Judgment
- Date
- about 1596 / 1605
- Medium
- oil on copper
- Dimensions
- 71.1 x 48.3 cm (28 x 19 in)
- K Number
- K1431
- Repository
- Birmingham Museum of Art
- Accession Number
- 1961.114
- Notes
Provenance
Possibly Bernardo Giunti, Venice and Florence, before 1648. M. de Bertillac. Philip, Duc d’Orléans [1672-1723], Palais Royal, Paris, as early as 1737; his grandson, Louis-Philippe-Joseph [Philippe Egalité, 1747-1793]; sold to viscount Edouard de Walkuers in 1792; sold to François-Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Laborde-Méréville [d. 1801], who took it to London; bought at (Jeremiah Harman's, London) by a consortium consisting of Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater [1736-1803], Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle and the Earl Gower; (Orleans sale, W. Bryan’s Gallery, London, 26 December 1798, no. 7); Francis, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater [1736-1803], London; Lord Gower, later 2nd Marquis of Stafford [1758-1833], Cleveland House, London; Lord Francis Leveson-Gower (later Egerton), 1st Earl of Ellesmere [1800-1857], Bridgewater House; by descent to John Sutherland, 5th Earl of Ellesmere and Duke of Sutherland; (his sale, Christie's, London, 18 October 1946, no. 53); (S. Hartveld Galleries, New York). (Paul Drey, New York). (Julius Weitzner, New York); sold to the Samuel H.Kress Foundation on 17 April 1947; gift to the Birmingham Museum of Art in 1961, no. 1961.114.
Catalogue Entry
Leandro Bassano
Last Judgment
K1431
Birmingham, Ala., Birmingham Museum of Art (61.114), since 1961. Copper. 28 x 19 in. (71.1 x 48.3 cm.). Signed at lower right: LEANDER A PONTE DASS ... EQVES . F. Very good condition. About 1580 Jacopo Bassano painted a very large canvas of Paradise, which is now in the Museo Civico, Bassano.(1) His son Francesco painted a modified version of this which is in the Church of the Gesu, Rome,(2) and Leandro, while repeating, with little alteration, some of the figures from these two compositions, added scenes of punishment and reward to make the subject into a Last Judgment.(3) Painting on copper, Leandro employed a miniaturelike technique in the many small figures, which is unusual for the Bassano family. It has been suggested that K1431 may be the 'Paradiso [by Leandro] con picciole, e diligenti figure' which Ridolfi says Bernardo Giunti took to Florence.(4) The heads of some of the figures are undoubtedly portraits: Doge Grimani, Emperor Rudolph, and Cardinal Bembo are among the distinguished people believed to be represented here.(5) K1431 probably dates about 1590. The use of Eques in the signature places it after Leandro's removal to Venice, where he was knighted. Provenance: Possibly Bernardo Giunti, Florence (mid-seventeenth century).(6) Bertillac.(7) Duc d'Orléans, Palais Royal, Paris (as early as 1737). Louis-Philippe-Egalite (sold 1792 to the following). Vicomte Edouard de Walkuers, Brussels banker (sold, 1792, to the following). Laborde de Mereville (who took it to London, 1792). Jeremiah Harmann's, London (sold to a consortium consisting of the Duke of Bridgewater, the Earl of Carlisle, and the Earl Gower –exhibited: Bryan's, London, Dec. 26, 1798-end of Aug. 1799, no. 7, as Leandro Bassano). Retained for the Duke of Bridgewater (died 1803; bequeathed to his brother, the following). Second Marquess of Stafford (died 1833; J. Britton, Catalogue Raisonné, 1808, p.94, as Leandro; catalogue by W. Young Ottley, vol. I, 1818, no. 31, as Leandro). Lord Francis Egerton, first Earl of Ellesmere(8) (son of the preceding; died 1857) and descendants (sold by fifth Earl of Ellesmere, Christie's, London, Oct. 18,1946, no. 53, as Leandro Bassano, to the following). Hartveld Galleries, New York. Paul Drey's, New York. Julius H. Weitzner's, New York. Kress acquisition, 1947 –exhibited: 'Pontormo to Greco,' John Herron Art Museum, Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 14-Mar. 28, 1954, no. 55, as Leandro Bassano.
References
(1) Jacopo's Paradise is reproduced by P. Zampetti, Catalogo della Mostra di Jacopo Bassano, 1957, p. 201. (2) Reproduced by E. Arslan, I Bassano, vol. II, 1960, fig. 261. (3) K1431 is attributed to Leandro by B. Berenson (Italian Pictures ... Venetian School, vol. I, 1957, p. 23, and earlier editions), Arslan (p. 266, vol. I, of op. cit. in note 2, above), C. Donzelli and G. M. Pilo (I Pittori del seicento veneto, 1967, p. 76), and in all catalogues, etc., cited in Provenance. (4) C. Ridolfi, Le Maraviglie dell' arte, pt. II, 1648, p. 167. This passage is cited by Arslan (loc. cit. in note 3, above). (5) Suggested by P. Drey in undated communication. (6) See reference to Ridolfi in note 4, above. (7) See Stryienski, loc. cit. in note 8, below. (8) For the provenance from the London sale of the Orléans Collection to the Earl of Ellesmere see G. F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, vol. II, 1854, pp. 25, 485, 487. See also W. Buchanan, Memoirs of Painting, vol. I, 1824, pp. 17 ff., 138; C. M. Westmacott, British Galleries of Painting and Sculpture, 1824, p. 192, as Leandro; Mrs. A. B. Jameson, Companion to the Most Celebrated Private Galleries, 1844, p. 96; C. Stryienski, La Galerie du Regent Philippe, Due d'Orléans, 1913, p. 157, no. 107.