Laban and His Flock

Laban and His Flock, the undated canvas at Dumfries House in Scotland, draws on one of the extended pastoral narratives of Genesis — the story of Jacob's years of service to his father-in-law Laban, during which the care and breeding of flocks was central to the economic and dramatic content of the narrative. For Jacopo Bassano, who consistently found in Old Testament pastoral subjects the perfect vehicle for his distinctive synthesis of biblical narrative and animal painting, the story of Laban and his flocks was irresistible. His treatments of Genesis pastoral scenes populate compositions with sheep, goats, dogs, and cattle rendered with extraordinary attention to the specific textures of different animals — a specialization that set him apart from virtually all contemporaries and attracted collectors specifically seeking his characteristic blend of the sacred and the pastoral. Dumfries House, a Palladian villa in Ayrshire, contains important European paintings collected by the Marquesses of Bute, and its Italian holdings reflect the collecting traditions of the Scottish aristocracy who participated in the Grand Tour and acquired works in Italy and through London dealers.

Oil on canvas, the composition would deploy animals across a broad landscape format, with human figures — Jacob, Laban, and their associates — directing attention among the flock. Bassano's handling of animal fur and wool creates differentiated textures that distinguish species and individual animals within the group. The palette employs warm, dusty landscape tones of the Veneto countryside.