Conservation in 2007 funded in part by Tiffany & Co., and Gino Seguso and family in memory of Ferdinanda Segusa.

This canvas was commissioned by the members of the Scuola dei Mercanti, a wealthy merchants’ guild whose meeting house was (and still is) located next to the church of the Madonna dell’Orto, in the sestiere of Cannaregio. Founded in 1377, the seat of the scuola was renovated by Andrea Palladio between 1570 and 1571. Originally, Veronese’s painting decorated the wall above the entrance door to the Sala dell’Albergo, the room where the officials used to gather to run their scuola. The canvas bears the coat of arms of the donors, the Cadabrazzo and Cottoni families, as well as that of the scuola, representing a hand blessing a Cross.

The Virgin Mary was one of the guild’s patron saints, and this painting was one among many recounting scenes from the life of the Virgin that once decorated the guildhall. The Angel Gabriel and the Virgin are depicted in an elaborately architectural setting probably based on architect Sebastiano Serlio’s theatrical treatise. Furthermore, the temple that appears in the background may have been inspired by the church of Santa Maria Nuova in Vicenza, completed by Palladio in 1578, the same date as this painting. Indeed, infrared reflectograms have revealed beneath the painted surface the date that Veronese inscribed in Roman numerals “MDLXXVIII,” thus confirming the dating to 1578.

The painting arrived at the Accademia Galleries in 1812 in the aftermath of the suppression of numerous guilds during Napoleon’s reign in Venice.

Paolo Veronese’s Annunciation had been heavily repainted and was covered with a layer of discolored varnish that masked its luminous quality and extraordinary details, such as the glass vase on the balustrade. Conservator Sandra Pesso removed these disruptive non-original surface layers and residues and filled any losses. Veronese’s light touch and expert technique are now once again visible in this masterpiece.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)
Annunciation
1578, oil on canvas
271 x 541 cm

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Homepage

Gallerie dell’Accademia: Link to the Work

Manieri Elia, Giulio, ed. Masterpieces Restored: The Gallerie dell’Accademia and Save Venice Inc. Venice: Marsilio, 2010, pp. 240-259