Workshop of Bonifacio de’ Pitati (1487 – 1553)

Workshop of Bonifacio de’ Pitati (Verona, c. 1487 – Venice, 1553)

Adoration of the Shepherds with Saints Francis and Catherine

Oil on canvas, 125 x 168 cm

This work is a derivation of the model by Bonifacio de’ Pitati preserved in the Church of the Eremitani in Padua, depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds with Saints Francis and Catherine. Stylistically, it can be dated to the first half of the 16th century. Although a documentary gap regarding the Veronese artist's formal training has hindered a precise chronological placement of his early works—specifically those produced between 1501 and 1528—the formal and typological characteristics of his initial output already place him in Venice, likely by 1510–15. These elements lend weight to the account by Carlo Ridolfi (1648, 1914, p. 284) that Pitati served an apprenticeship in the workshop of Jacopo Palma il Vecchio, a relationship that evolved from initial training into a true collaboration.

Starting in the 1520s, Bonifacio de’ Pitati began to cultivate his own circle of patrons, executing paintings for both private and public devotion. These works demonstrate a continued reliance on "Palmesque" motifs while simultaneously showing a degree of autonomy. Following the death of his master and colleague Palma il Vecchio on July 30, 1528, one of the most prominent Venetian workshops of the early Cinquecento vanished, allowing Bonifacio to establish himself as a leading figure on the Venetian artistic scene. The canvases from these years are characterized by a Northern-inspired approach to landscape, contrasting with Palma’s solemn lyricism, yet they remain permeated by a spirituality evoked by the locus amoenus—lush green landscapes populated by divine presences.

It is probable that, initially, Bonifacio could rely almost exclusively on the assistance of the young Antonio Palma (1515–1575, father of Jacopo Palma il Giovane), who likely served his apprenticeship (garzonato) under him starting in 1528 (Ludwig, 1901, p. 74). However, he quickly adapted his workshop to meet the specific demands of major contracts, which required high quality paired with rapid execution, particularly for public commissions subject to sudden changes. Leveraging the prestige of his workshop—which attracted talented youths such as Jacopo Bassano, Jacopo Tintoretto (1518–1594), and Andrea Meldolla (known as Lo Schiavone)—Bonifacio employed them first as apprentices (c. 1530–35) and later as collaborators (until at least 1540).

In 1530, the artist was officially recorded in the lists of the masters of the guild. His Venetian school continually drew vitality from Giorgionesque colorism and Palmesque narratives, strictly adhering to the figurative rhythms of the mainland (entroterra). This set him apart from contemporaries like Pordenone (1483–1539) and Sebastiano del Piombo (1485–1547), who instead adopted "flamboyant" Tuscan-Roman translations following their time in Rome. Around the 1530s, De’ Pitati’s painting showed an affinity with the style of Lorenzo Lotto (1480–1556/7), another solitary and wandering artist, suggesting the two may have operated within the same patronage circuits. Alongside the merchant-class market, Bonifacio secured major ecclesiastical commissions, the most prestigious being the decoration of the Altar of the Relics in the church of S. Maria dei Servi, dated 1533.

The present work splendidly underscores the characteristically Venetian importance attributed to light and the use of color, which served as the springboard for the international recognition of the 16th-century Venetian school—a tradition born from the mosaics of St. Mark’s and set by Bellini on a path of eternal ascent.

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