Portret van kunstenaar Francesco Bassano II - Carlo Gregori

A detailed eighteenth-century engraving by Carlo Gregori depicting the Venetian painter Francesco Bassano II, shown in professional attire with his drawing tools.

This portrait by the Italian engraver Carlo Gregori depicts Francesco Bassano II (1549-1592), a member of the prominent Bassano family of painters from the Venetian school. The print is executed with the technical precision characteristic of eighteenth-century reproductive engraving, employing a system of cross-hatching and fine lines to model the subject's features and the texture of his garments.

Francesco Bassano II is shown in a three-quarter view, dressed in the attire of a late sixteenth-century artist. He wears a dark doublet with a stiff, white collar, a style common among the professional classes of the period. He holds a drawing implement in his right hand, poised over a surface, which identifies him as a practitioner of the fine arts. His gaze is directed toward the viewer, conveying a sense of direct engagement. The background is rendered with a subtle, uniform hatching that provides depth without distracting from the figure.

Carlo Gregori, active in Florence, produced this work as part of a broader effort to document the lives and appearances of historical artists. The inscription at the base of the print identifies the subject as 'da Ponte', the family name of the Bassanos, and provides his birth and death dates. The print reflects the academic interest in art history that grew during the Enlightenment, where the lives of masters were catalogued through visual records. The clarity of the line work and the balanced composition demonstrate the technical skill required to translate painted portraits into the medium of print. This piece offers a window into the historical perception of the Renaissance artist, presenting Francesco Bassano II not merely as a subject, but as a craftsman engaged in the act of creation.