Francesco Bassano – The Crowning with Thorns. This painting depicts a dramatic nocturnal scene from the Passion of Christ. Christ, dressed in a rose-red cloak and wearing the crown of thorns, is placed at the centre of the composition and surrounded by the figures of his tormentors, soldiers, and servants. The space is immersed in deep shadow; individual forms are picked out by flashes of light from a torch and a brazier, creating a tense contrast between darkness, the movement of the figures, and the silent concentration of the central image. The composition is structured around a diagonal rhythm of gestures, bodily turns, and directed gazes, intensifying the sense of anxiety, violence, and anticipation.

The painting is by Francesco Bassano the Younger, one of the most gifted sons of Jacopo Bassano and an important master of Venetian painting in the second half of the sixteenth century. Francesco was known for his religious compositions, nocturnal scenes, and expressive chiaroscuro manner, which developed the tradition of the Bassano workshop. The value of this work lies in its high artistic quality, its rare nocturnal treatment of the subject, and its connection with the circle of prototypes and replicas associated with the Bassano family. The painting is accompanied by an expert opinion by Professor Mauro Lucco, in which the work is attributed to Francesco Bassano and dated to the early 1580s. On the reverse of the painting there is an old inscription: “14 Jacobo Bassano / dalla Casa Ricci / di Firenze”, indicating its probable former ownership by the Florentine Casa Ricci.

Size: 85,5 x 66,5 cm.