Paolo (called Veronese) Caliari
Fragment of the Petrobelli Altarpiece: The Dead Christ with Angels
c. 1563
Antonio and Girolamo Petrobelli commissioned Veronese, who had by then moved to Venice, to paint an altarpiece for a church in Lendinara, a town on the mainland. The altarpiece stood 7 metres (23 feet) tall, and depicted the brothers with their name saints, who presented them to the Archangel Saint Michael, whose role was to weigh souls in a balance and vanquish the Devil. Above them, angels supported the dead Christ, presenting him for our contemplation. In the late 18th century the painting was cut up for sale. This is the largest fragment, and the only one that could be considered an individual painting. Depictions of the dead Christ were intended to provoke meditation upon his sacrifice. For more on the altarpiece and its history visit www.gallery.ca/veronese
Title
Fragment of the Petrobelli Altarpiece: The Dead Christ with Angels
Date
c. 1563
Medium
Painting
Materials
oil on canvasDimensions
222.3 x 251 cm
Nationality
Italian
Credit line
Purchased 1925
Accession number
3336