Restored in 1992 with funding from Ethan Allen in memory of Hedy Giusti Lanham Allen.

Around 1523, the Confraternity of the Bombardiers commissioned Palma Vecchio to make a polyptych in honor of their patroness, Saint Barbara, to adorn the altar of their chapel in the church of Santa Maria Formosa. The polyptych, considered by some to be Palma’s greatest work, is centered around the figure of Saint Barbara; she holds the palm of martyrdom and stands upon a pedestal with a cannon at her feet. The Venetian artillery prayed to Saint Barbara for protection from the perils of war, and in turn thanked her for their victories. To the left of Saint Barbara is the figure of Saint Sebastian, who was often appealed to in Venice for protection against the plague; above this panel is a smaller one depicting Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of sailors. To the right of Saint Barbara is a panel with Saint Anthony Abbot, above which is a small panel of Saint Vincent Ferrer, seen as a protector against sudden death. Crowning the complex is a particularly moving image of the Pietà, in which the Virgin Mary mournfully holds the lifeless body of Christ following the Crucifixion. The monumental stone frame in which the panels are currently installed dates to the eighteenth century.

The polyptych was restored by conservators from the CBC restoration firm, with the guidance of project director Sandro Sponza of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

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.

Jacopo Negretti, known as Palma il Vecchio (c. 1480–1528)
Polyptych of Saint Barbara
1523-24, oil on wood panel

Saint Barbara
214 x 85 cm
Saint Sebastian
138 x 48 cm
Saint Anthony Abbot
138 x 45 cm
Saint John the Baptist
62 x 58 cm
Saint Vincent Ferrer
62 x 58 cm
Pietà
63 x 89 cm

Chorus Association: Church of Santa Maria Formosa

Rylands, Philip. Palma Vecchio. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992.