Bartolomeo Veneto (1502-1555)

Bartolomeo Veneto was an Italian painter who worked in Venice, the Veneto (the mainland) and Lombardy.

During his time in Venice, he studied under Gentile Bellini.

The little information available about Bartolomeo's life has been derived from his signatures, dates, and inscriptions.

His best known works are portraits or pictures with portrait-like character.

Bartolomeo's later works, and especially those done on commission in Milan, indicate an influence from the artist Leonardo da Vinci.

Bartolomeo’s early works consist of small devotional pictures.

Bartolomeo changed his subject matter to suit his patrons as the interest in portraiture grew in Venice and the Veneto.

His portraits became quite popular and in his later life Bartolomeo obtained many commissions in Northern Italy.

While forty paintings are generally accepted to be by Bartolomeo, only nine bear inscriptions with the artist's name.

A fourth of the generally accepted works are devotional paintings, which were painted during his early career.

All of his paintings were done on wood (few were later moved to canvas.) He appears to have received no public commissions and the majority of his work consists of portraiture.

Bartolomeo’s earliest dated work Virgin and Child, from 1502 bears an interesting signature important to our understanding of the painter’s developing style, "Bartolamio mezo venizian e mezo cremonexe" -“Bartolomeo half-Venetian and half-Cremonese”.

The inscription sheds light on the painter’s citizenship, as well as a reference to his diverse stylistic influence.

The Venetian half reflects his knowledge of Bellini.

The Cremonese suggests some knowledge of the Cremonese school founded by Guilio Campi.