Petrobelli altarpiece
Encyclopedia
Around 1563, the cousins Girolamo and Antonio Petrobelli commissioned a huge altarpiece for the church of San Francesco in the small town of Lendinara
, near Venice. They turned to Paolo Veronese
, a celebrated painter with strong ties to the region. The cousins hoped that the spectacular work would seal their status as one of the leading families in the town. Set above the altar in their burial chapel, Veronese’s painting shows the two men protected by their name saints. The cousins are privileged to witness a miraculous apparition, a foretaste of the future: the archangel Saint Michael, who will weigh the souls of the dead at the Last Judgment
. Above, we see the dead Christ, who died to redeem mankind. Veronese offered his patrons a compellingly realistic depiction of a visionary scene, and captured the hope of the faithful Christian for salvation.
), Scotland (National Gallery of Scotland
), Canada (National Gallery of Canada
), and the United States (Blanton Museum of Art
).
temporarily reunited the fragments for the first time in over two hundred years.
The restored picture travelled to Canada and the USA later the same year.
Lendinara
Lendinara is a town and comune in the province of Rovigo, Veneto, northern Italy. It is part of the historical and geographical region of Polesine.It is the birthplace of Domenico Montagnana , one of the world's finest violin and cello makers....
, near Venice. They turned to Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
, a celebrated painter with strong ties to the region. The cousins hoped that the spectacular work would seal their status as one of the leading families in the town. Set above the altar in their burial chapel, Veronese’s painting shows the two men protected by their name saints. The cousins are privileged to witness a miraculous apparition, a foretaste of the future: the archangel Saint Michael, who will weigh the souls of the dead at the Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
. Above, we see the dead Christ, who died to redeem mankind. Veronese offered his patrons a compellingly realistic depiction of a visionary scene, and captured the hope of the faithful Christian for salvation.
Division
In the late 18th century, the church of San Francesco was demolished, and the Petrobelli altarpiece sold. An art dealer, seeking to maximize his profit, divided up the painting into four pieces. Their history was quickly forgotten, and the fragments eventually came to rest in public collections in England (Dulwich Picture GalleryDulwich Picture Gallery
Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, South London. England's first purpose-built public art gallery, it was designed by Regency architect Sir John Soane and opened to the public in 1817. Soane arranged the exhibition spaces as a series of interlinked rooms illuminated naturally...
), Scotland (National Gallery of Scotland
National Gallery of Scotland
The National Gallery of Scotland, in Edinburgh, is the national art gallery of Scotland. An elaborate neoclassical edifice, it stands on The Mound, between the two sections of Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens...
), Canada (National Gallery of Canada
National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada , located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was...
), and the United States (Blanton Museum of Art
Blanton Museum of Art
The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art is the art museum and research center of the University of Texas at Austin. Formerly under the College of Fine Arts, the museum director now reports to the University's...
).
Restoration
Close examination of the fragments, years of study, and careful restoration were needed to reconstruct the altarpiece’s original form. In 2009, an exhibition in DulwichDulwich
Dulwich is an area of South London, England. The settlement is mostly in the London Borough of Southwark with parts in the London Borough of Lambeth...
temporarily reunited the fragments for the first time in over two hundred years.
The restored picture travelled to Canada and the USA later the same year.