VERONESE, Paolo
(b. 1528, Verona, d. 1588, Venezia)

Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints

1564-65
Oil on canvas, 420 x 230 cm
San Sebastiano, Venice

This painting is on the altar of the chancel (presbytery) of the church of San Sebastiano. The saints represented in the lower section of the painting are John the Baptist, Catherine, Elizabeth, Sebastian, Francis and Peter.

The altarpiece for the choir of the church of San Sebastiano was presumably painted at the same time as the two lateral canvases in the gallery (Martyrdom of St Sebastian, and Martyrdom of Sts Mark and Marcellinus). In doing the preliminary drawing for the architecture of the retable, Veronese worked once again as an architectural designer. The two female saints honour the memory of the founder Catharina Cornaro and her executrix Liza Querini. Veronese's biographer Ridolfi, writing in 1648, thought he could discern the portrait of the client, Fra Bernardo Torlioni, in the figure of St Francis.