Dives and Lazarus

Bonifazio Veronese’s “Dives and Lazarus”: Oil on Canvas

The Artist: Bonifazio Veronese and His Significance

Bonifazio Veronese, also known as Bonifazio de’ Pitati (c. 1487–1553), holds a prominent place among the Venetian painters of the High Renaissance. A native of Verona, Bonifazio moved to Venice, where his workshop became influential in the development of Venetian painting. While following in the artistic traditions pioneered by masters like Giovanni Bellini and Giorgione, Bonifazio developed a distinctive style that blended warmth, color, and narrative clarity. He excelled in large-scale compositions that often depicted biblical stories within lush, dynamic settings. His workshop formed a fertile ground for artists like Tintoretto and Palma Giovane, ensuring Bonifazio’s techniques and narrative flair endured long after his death.

Historical Context of the Artwork

Created during the early to mid-16th century, “Dives and Lazarus” reflects the period’s enduring fascination with morality tales and religious didacticism. Venice at the time was at the height of its cultural and economic power, attracting commission after commission for religious art from both church and laity. Stories with strong moral underpinnings—like the parable of Dives (the “rich man”) and Lazarus—found resonance in a society keenly aware of both opulence and poverty. This context both informed and fueled the artistic choices Bonifazio made in his rendering of the parable.

Religious and Cultural Significance

The parable of Dives and Lazarus, found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19–31), tells the tale of a wealthy, self-indulgent man (often called "Dives," Latin for “rich”) and a destitute beggar named Lazarus. Upon their deaths, Lazarus is received in comfort by Abraham, while Dives suffers in torment. The narrative explores themes of mercy, divine justice, and the reversal of earthly fortunes, serving as a cautionary tale about the perils of wealth and the neglect of the needy.

Within 16th-century Venetian society—marked by conspicuous wealth and stark economic divides—the story would have been especially poignant. The moral imperative articulated so vividly in the parable underscored the responsibilities of the affluent toward the poor—a message periodically reinforced through visual art.

Symbolism and Iconography

Bonifazio’s “Dives and Lazarus” is a rich tableau that communicates its central message through carefully chosen symbols and iconographic detail. The rich man is typically depicted surrounded by luxury, feasting with elaborately dressed companions. His garments, resplendent and opulent, serve as stark visual contrasts to the rags of Lazarus. Dogs, which lick Lazarus’ sores, are not only biblical references but also symbolize humility and the indifference of society to suffering.

The compositional division between the banquet scene and the suffering beggar emphasizes the chasm—physical, moral, and spiritual—between wealth and want. After their deaths, the shift in fortunes is often rendered by showing Lazarus comforted in Abraham’s bosom (a reference to eternal reward) and the rich man anguished among flames, reaching vainly for relief. Abraham is frequently depicted as a fatherly figure, embodying divine mercy.

In its Venetian context, these iconographic elements gain an additional rhetorical power, urging viewers not just to pity, but to act with compassion towards the less fortunate.

Artistic Techniques

Bonifazio’s mastery of oil on canvas is evident in “Dives and Lazarus.” His use of color and light reveals the influence of Venetian predecessors—especially Giorgione—with luminous, almost atmospheric effects. The handling of fabric and flesh, the golden highlights, and the complex interplay of shade lend depth and richness to the scene.

Bonifazio frequently employed a narrative clarity, with figures arranged so their gestures and expressions tell the story almost theatrically. The careful modulation of space divides the rich man’s world of abundance from the marginalized existence of Lazarus, guiding the viewer’s eye and sympathy.

His brushwork is both sensitive and robust, capturing the softness of Lazarus’ vulnerable form and the luxurious textures of Dives’ surroundings. Architectural and landscape elements lend a sense of place while also acting as symbolic markers—columns for stability, doorways or windows for the passage between life and afterlife.

Cultural Impact

“Dives and Lazarus” became a favored theme of Venetian and broadly European art, embodying not only Counter-Reformation priorities but also persistent societal anxieties about wealth, poverty, and redemption. Bonifazio’s interpretation inspired other painters to grapple with the parable’s grim but ultimately hopeful moral.

The painting’s legacy endures in how it encapsulates the Venetian school’s fusion of sumptuous color, narrative vitality, and spiritual gravitas. By marrying biblical narrative to the visual language of his viewers, Bonifazio ensured the story’s relevance not only as a religious lesson but also as a call to empathy and social awareness.

In the modern era, “Dives and Lazarus” has been recognized as a masterwork amid the artist’s oeuvre. It continues to be studied for both its technical accomplishments and its compelling visual exegesis of one of Christendom’s most challenging parables.

Sources

• Christiansen, Keith. Venetian Painting in the Age of Bellini. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006.
• Goffen, Rona. Piety and Patronage in Renaissance Venice: Bellini, Titian, and the Franciscans. Yale University Press, 1986.
• Humfrey, Peter. Painting in Renaissance Venice. Yale University Press, 1995.
• Grove Art Online. “Bonifazio Veronese.”
• The National Gallery, London. “Dives and Lazarus by Bonifazio Veronese.”