MORETTO da Brescia
(b. ca. 1498, Brescia, d. 1554, Brescia)

Female portraits in front of landscapes

1543-46
Fresco
Palazzo Martinengo-Salvadego, Brescia

As far as we know, the murals that Moretto da Brescia and his workshop painted in the Palazzo Martinengo-Salvadego, in Brescia, combining fresco, tempera, and oils were unique. It is probable that the eight female figures are portraits of wives and daughters from the many branches of the Martinengo family. Even if it is no longer possible to identify the sitters precisely, it is clear that the patron was primarily seeking to create a kind of "gallery of beauties."

This decoration open up the walls of the room to a great extent.