BALESTRA, Antonio
(b. 1666, Verona, d. 1740, Verona)

Virgin and Christ Child with Saints

1704
Oil on canvas
Gesuiti, Venice

The represented saints in this large altarpiece in the church of the Gesuiti are Sts Stanislaus Kostka, Luigi Gonzaga, and Francesco Borgia. Balestra's classicising art is apparent in the clearly defined physiognomies, and the composition is a lesson in the representation of unequivocal forms.