Lot Essay
Leandro da Ponte entered his father's workshop at a young age, soon becoming his principal assistant. In 1588 he moved to Venice, where he joined his brother Francesco. It was here that he established his reputation and in 1595 he was named Knight of St. Mark for his portrait of Doge Marino Grimani.
Da Ponte painted several versions of the parable of the Good Samaritan, recounted in the New Testament, in which Christ described how a traveller, stripped and beaten by robbers, was saved by a Samaritan, while a Priest and a Levite 'passed by on the other side' (Luke 10: 25-38). An example can be found in the National Gallery, London, circa 1550-1570.
Da Ponte painted several versions of the parable of the Good Samaritan, recounted in the New Testament, in which Christ described how a traveller, stripped and beaten by robbers, was saved by a Samaritan, while a Priest and a Levite 'passed by on the other side' (Luke 10: 25-38). An example can be found in the National Gallery, London, circa 1550-1570.