The Three Philosophers

Giorgione (Giorgio da Castelfranco) (Castelfranco Veneto c1476/8 - Venice 1510) Signed and dated 1515 Now in the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna.

The Hamilton inventory list of paintings from the collection of Bartolommeo della Nave (M4/10) has as many as 10 links to paintings connected to Giorgione. This painting of The Three Philosophers has a reference to a counterpart which is now sadly lost. "..Another picture of the history of the Amazons with 5 figures to the full and other figures in a Landskip of the same greatnes made by the same Giorgione" ( Entry 42).The two paintings and another a "Notte" - Nativity were in the house of Taddeo Contarini in 1525. The three Philosophers is one of the most outstanding of the 200 masterpieces in the Venetian collection of Bartolomeo delle Nave. The painting is also listed as by Giorgione in the list written in French of Paintings for Sale of c.1649.(M4/40) The picture was recorded and given pride of place by David Teniers the younger on the top row centre left in his painting of Archduke Leopolds Wilhelm's Gallery in Brussels of c1651.

This is one of the best known Venetian Renaissance paintings in the Kuntshistorisches Museum Vienna. Details of Giorgione's life and the interpretation of his pictures are difficult to find in contemporary accounts, but this is one of a small number of paintings that is universally accepted to be by the painter. The rich colouring, informally placed figures and twilight landscape set against melting shadows illustrates Giorgione's revolutionary style at its height, profoundly altering the course of Venetian Renaissance painting. The subject matter is characteristically enigmatic. Is it The Three Kings, The Three Sages or The Three Ages of Man?